HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Cleaning Services

Caroline Lucas: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make it his policy to require all cleaning contracts held with the House of Commons Service to stipulate that the cleaning products used should be EU Ecolabel products accredited by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and if he will make a statement.

John Thurso: The two Houses have one cleaning contract. The contractor has worked with the principal supplier of the cleaning materials that they use on the parliamentary estate to improve sustainability and minimise environmental impact. Although the particular products supplied to Parliament do not carry the EU Ecolabel they are super-concentrates, which are designed for use on a large scale and can provide even better sustainability benefits, typically in terms of transport, packaging and CO2 emissions. Super-concentrates are also considerably cheaper. Some essential supplies such as sanitisation products are, by their nature, incompatible with the requirements of the EU Ecolabel.
	I have asked the House's Director General of Facilities to write to the hon. Member with more detailed information, and a copy of that letter will be placed in the Library.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bees

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to encourage growth of the bee population in England.

James Paice: DEFRA is undertaking a number of steps to protect honey bee health, including control of statutory diseases, preparing for exotic pests, a range of research projects and implementation of the Healthy Bees Plan. This is a 10-year plan published by DEFRA in 2009 to achieve a sustainable and healthy population of honey bees. The Food and Environment Research Agency is working closely with beekeepers to implement the plan. An important part of this work is education and training of beekeepers, given their important role in sustaining the population of honey bees. These are a managed species whose population size is determined by the number of beekeepers, which has grown in recent years due to an increasing interest in beekeeping, the number of colonies they manage, their beekeeping skills and the time of year, given seasonal fluctuations in the size of colonies.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2011, Official Report, column 1133W, on bovine tuberculosis: disease control, in what month she proposes to announce her decision; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: We received a large number of responses to our consultation, which we are considering carefully. This is a difficult and sensitive issue and we need to get it right. We will announce our decision as part of a comprehensive and balanced TB eradication programme for England as soon as possible.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Kent

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of bovine TB were confirmed in Kent in each of the last 10 years.

James Paice: There were fewer than 10 confirmed reactor cattle slaughtered under bovine tuberculosis (TB) control measures in Kent in each of the last 10 years. For data protection reasons, we do not disclose figures that total fewer than 10, as this may lead to identification of individual cases.
	Note:
	Data are provisional and subject to change as more data become available.
	Source:
	DEFRA’s Animal Health Database (Vetnet)

Catering

Mark Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the provision of country of origin information on menus in restaurants and cafeterias in Government buildings.

James Paice: There is no legal requirement for restaurants or cafeterias to give country of origin information on menus. However, if they do, it must not mislead.
	I have welcomed the introduction, by the food industry, of voluntary principles on country of origin labelling. In the case of caterers, these state that they should be able to provide the origin of the meat, meat products and dairy products either on the menu, on accompanying literature or, at the very least, when the information is requested by the consumer. Among the criteria being considered for the forthcoming Government buying standards for food and catering services is the inclusion of these principles for all central Government catering operations.

Cereal Products

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely effects of removal of Common Agricultural Policy subsidies from cereal producers on the cost of feed for UK pig producers.

James Paice: Feed prices are largely determined by the supply and demand situation on the world market.
	Although we have made no specific assessment of the likely effects of the removal of Common Agricultural Policy subsidies from cereal producers on the cost of feed for UK pig producers, the FAPRI-UK project “Impact of HM Treasury/DEFRA's Vision for the Common Agricultural Policy on Agriculture in the UK”, published in 2009, looked at a scenario where the single farm payment (SFP) was phased out, to be replaced by environmental payments, and agricultural trade was significantly liberalised. It concluded that “the phased elimination of the SFP on top of further trade liberalisation [would have] a small impact on the crop sector”. The report projected total feedstuff costs to be 7% lower by 2018 under this scenario, although this primarily reflects a projected fall in livestock numbers.
	We are working in Europe with member states and industry to find ways to improve the overall situation for pig producers through discussions in the Commission's Enlarged Pig Meat Advisory Group.

Farming

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make an assessment of the capacity of the farming industry to participate in the small companies research and development tax credit scheme.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	R&D tax relief is available to limited companies which carry out qualifying R&D within the definition laid out in guidelines published by BIS.
	The relief is not sector specific and could be claimed by any company in the agriculture sector which engages in a project to:
	‘achieve an advance in science or technology through the resolution of scientific or technological uncertainty’.

Forests

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of users of public forests were (a) walkers, (b) cyclists and (c) horse riders in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Paice: The Forestry Commission has collected data at its principal recreation sites through on-site surveys since 2003.
	Average figures from these surveys show that in England from 2003-09:
	(a) 63% of visitors go for a walk;
	(b) 32% of visitors ride a bike; and
	(c) Horse riding visits are estimated at less than 1% of total visits.

Forests

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects on local economic development of (a) cycling and (b) equestrian access to public forests.

James Paice: A study entitled “Valuing Forest Recreation Activities” was commissioned by the Forestry Commission and published in 2006.
	The study estimated the local economic (income and employment) impacts of forest recreation. In particular, the study considered the mean local spend on forest recreation by horse-riders, general visitors, nature watchers and cyclists, mainly at public forests. Horse-riders generated the highest spend per visit but cycling and other activities were also found to generate significant levels of spending. Annual local expenditure at the sites surveyed in the New Forest and Thetford forest were over £60 million and £10 million respectively.
	The full report can be found on the Forestry Commission’s website at:
	www.forestry.gov.uk

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to introduce regulations on corporate greenhouse gas reporting.

James Paice: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 March 2011, Official Report, column 323W, to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas).

Livestock: Animal Welfare

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress her Department has made in reducing risks to the health of farm animals.

James Paice: DEFRA's Animal Health and Welfare Strategy places particular emphasis on the prevention of disease. Working closely with farmers, the veterinary profession and others, we are making good progress:
	We have successfully eliminated Bluetongue through a well co-ordinated vaccination campaign.
	DEFRA conducted a public consultation at the end of 2010 on the Government's approach to tackling bovine tuberculosis (TB) and a badger control policy, which highlighted a number of planned changes to existing cattle measures to ensure that that they are better targeted on the basis of disease risk. We will be announcing a comprehensive and balanced TB eradication programme for England as soon as possible.
	We have reviewed the implementation of the Veterinary Surveillance Strategy to ensure that risks and emerging threats are effectively identified and prioritised. We continually monitor and assess the global animal health situation to help inform risk-based controls on imports of animals and animal products.
	The way we respond to disease outbreaks is also an important factor in reducing risk. The evaluation report of Exercise Silver Birch, a major national exercise designed to test the Government's ability to deal with a significant outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD), demonstrated the benefits of changes introduced since the 2001 FMD outbreak.

Livestock: Transport

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her European counterparts on the resumption of the transport of live animals in 2011; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: DEFRA Ministers have had no discussions with their European counterparts on the resumption in 2011 of the transport of live animals for the purposes of further fattening and slaughter. This is a separate trade from the transport of animals for breeding purposes.
	Although we would prefer to see animals slaughtered as close as practicable to their point of production, the trade in live animals between member states of the European Union is legitimate and is governed by Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005.
	The European Commission is conducting a review of Regulation 1/2005 and the UK continues to provide the necessary input into this review. In preparation for the eventual publication of any formal proposal to amend the legislation, we will continue to engage with key stakeholders in order to build an evidence-base and gauge views/opinions on the Regulation's implementation and how it might be improved.

Trees: Phytophthora Ramorum

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action her Department is taking to eradicate (a) Phytophthora ramorum and (b) Phytophthora kernoviae in trees.

James Paice: The Food and Environment Research Agency and the Forestry Commission are jointly implementing the £25 million, five-year, Phytophthora Disease Management Programme until 2014.
	The aim of the programme is to reduce pathogen inoculum to epidemiologically insignificant levels by removing sporulating host plants from high risk areas to reduce the risk of significant tree death and significant impact on heathlands within England and Wales.
	“Phytophthora ramorum” has been found to be killing Japanese larch and removal of infected trees has become a priority. The disease has been confirmed at more than 100 sites and statutory powers are being used to require felling of up to 2,000 hectares of infected trees.
	“Phytophthora kernoviae” appears to be more of a threat to deciduous trees and heathland and action under the programme includes monitoring for this disease and eradication of any plants found to be infected.

Water: Pollution

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures the Environment Agency has put in place to implement the recommendations of the National Audit Office in its report published in July 2010 on the Environment Agency's efforts to tackle diffuse water pollution in England.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has developed an action plan and associated governance arrangements to take forward the advice and recommendations highlighted in the recent diffuse pollution report.
	The actions focus on reviewing and improving approaches to evidence, communication and measures in line with NAO recommendations. Actions include joint work with DEFRA, Natural England and other third parties, and link to the ‘Catchment Management Approach’ to River Basin Planning which was announced on 23 March 2011.

Water: Pollution

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effects of water companies on the natural environment.

Richard Benyon: Work under the water framework directive involves assessing the current status of water bodies in each river basin and, for those that are failing, confirming the cause of failure. Where a failure is due to a water company discharge or abstraction, measures are included in the improvement plans for the water companies, which form part of their business plans. For the first cycle of river basin management plans, 25% of water body failures were due to water company discharges. However, 82% of the cost of all improvement measures is being funded by water companies. The last set of water company environmental improvement plans were approved in November 2009 and are published on the Environment Agency website.
	For the second cycle, improvement plans will be confirmed in 2014 and included in the water company business plans.
	The Environment Agency also measures environmental regulatory performance of the 10 major water and sewerage companies on an annual basis. This feeds into a published performance assessment, and leads to financial penalties and incentives for the companies depending on performance. The last assessment took place on 2009 data and was reported in October 2010. The collation and assessment of the 2010 data has now commenced.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

UK-Turkey Relations

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the state of bilateral relations between the UK and Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: We have excellent co-operation with Turkey on a wide range of issues, reaffirmed in a new Strategic Partnership signed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister during his visit to Turkey in July last year. Priority areas for co-operation include support to stability in the middle east, trade and investment, energy and migration.

Middle East

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in the middle east; and if he will make a statement.

William Hague: The stability and security of our friends in the middle east remains our major concern. But no true stability can result from the repression of legitimate demands for political participation and the rule of law. Nothing can justify the use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators. We are supporting peaceful reform in Tunisia and Egypt, just as we are opposing violence elsewhere, and urging all Governments to respond positively to popular calls for better governance.

Ivory Coast

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Ivory Coast.

Henry Bellingham: We welcome the fact that President Ouattara has at last assumed the office to which he was elected last November.
	He faces huge challenges including national reconciliation and economic rehabilitation. Those guilty of serious human rights abuses must also be held accountable.
	We have told the President that he will have the support of the British Government in these efforts.

Council of Europe: Manpower

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff were employed by each institution of the Council of Europe for the purposes of (a) communication and (b) communication with the media in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold this information.

Council of Europe: Manpower

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff were employed at each grade by (a) the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights in each of the last three years and (b) each institution of the Council of Europe; and what estimate he has made of staffing levels in the Council of Europe's institutions in each of the next three years.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold the information requested, and has made no estimate of future staffing levels in the Council of Europe (CoE).
	The Secretariat of the CoE has provided the following information:
	
		
			 Council of Europe s  taff: Numbers by grade working in the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights; and total numbers working for the Council of Europe by grade 
			 2008 
			  Grade 
			  A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 
			 HR Comm Office 1 1 5 2 — — — — 2 4 1 — — 
			 Total staff by grade 49 133 252 137 63 32 9 20 278 468 216 130 19 
		
	
	
		
			  Grade  
			  C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 Total 
			 HR Comm Office — — — — — — — — — — — 16 
			 Total staff by grade 6 30 46 30 19 5 1 11 29 16 3 2,002 
		
	
	
		
			 2009 
			  Grade 
			  A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 
			 HR Comm Office 2 1 4 2 — 1 — — 2 3 2 — — 
			 Total staff by grade 38 140 273 139 63 32 9 13 264 503 235 143 19 
		
	
	
		
			  Grade  
			  C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 Total 
			 HR Comm Office — — — — — — — — — — — 17 
			 Total staff by grade 3 49 47 32 19 4 1 8 30 15 4 2,083 
		
	
	
		
			 2010 
			  Grade 
			  A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 
			 HR Comm Office 2 5 4 2 — 1 — — 2 4 2 — — 
			 Total staff by grade 23 148 287 142 62 34 10 5 274 533 252 151 18 
		
	
	
		
			  Grade 
			  C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 L2 L3 L4 L5 Total 
			 HR Comm Office — — — — — — — — — — 22 
			 Total staff by grade 3 55 47 30 17 4 8 33 15 4 2,155

Departmental Official Cars

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date (a) he and (b) each other Minister in his Department last used a ministerial car while travelling in an official capacity; and how many times (i) he and (ii) each other Minister in his Department has travelled to their constituency in a ministerial car since May 2010.

David Lidington: The information is as follows:
	(a) and (b): All Ministers have used a car in the last week.
	(i) and (ii): This information is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Vacancies

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the staff vacancy rate in his Department was in 2010-11; and what vacancy rate has been assumed in his Department's budget for 2011-12.

David Lidington: In 2010-11, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) filled 21 Fast Stream programme and 30 other vacancies for UK-based staff through external recruitment campaigns. This represents a vacancy rate of approximately 1.02%.
	In 2011-12, the FCO expects to take on a similar number of applicants to the Fast Stream programme to last year. The Fast Stream recruitment programme is exempt from the Government-wide recruitment freeze.
	It is not possible to provide an overall figure for vacancy rates in 2011-12. External vacancies arise only when roles are not filled either internally or from across Whitehall and it is difficult to predict these in advance.

Diplomatic Service

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department’s consular support to British nationals involved in conflicts or natural disasters overseas.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has in recent months responded to an unprecedented number of crises. We have deployed significant resources to provide immediate, emergency consular assistance to British nationals. Overall the support has been excellent. However, there are lessons to be learnt and the Secretary for State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), commissioned a review to examine the FCO’s arrangements for leading the evacuation of British nationals in a crisis, and, as he informed the House on 21 March 2011, Official Report, columns 822-23W, we will publish the report of the review.
	In the meantime, we are ensuring that our responses in Syria and elsewhere are reflecting our experiences of earlier crises.

European External Action Service: Manpower

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the current staffing level is of the European External Action Service; and what the expected full staffing level is of that service.

David Lidington: There are currently 3,720 staff slots in the European External Action Service (EEAS). The 2012 draft Budget includes plans for 27 new posts. These, and any future additional staff slots would have to be agreed by the EU member states. We are pressing the EEAS to adhere to the agreed principle of budget neutrality.

Exports: Asbestos

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the risks associated with the export of asbestos from Commonwealth states to other Commonwealth states at the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference in October 2011.

David Lidington: It is for the hosts and the Commonwealth Secretariat to set the agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia. We have every confidence that the agenda will meet the priorities of all member states.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Government of Gibraltar received from his Department in each of the last five years.

David Lidington: The Government of Gibraltar have not received any funding from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the last five years.

Gibraltar: Spain

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the dispute involving the Spanish police and the Royal Gibraltar Police; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: We have received information from the Gibraltar authorities and the Spanish Government about the incident involving the Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) and the Spanish Guardia Civil (GC) on Sunday 24 April in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW).
	The incident occurred during the attempted seizure of a suspect vessel thought to be smuggling drugs. Two suspected smugglers were arrested by Spanish officials and transported to Spain. The UK remains fully confident of its sovereignty over British Gibraltar Territorial Waters and we make this clear to the Spanish authorities on all appropriate occasions.
	I discussed the issue of incursions by Guardia Civil vessels into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters with the Governor and the Chief Minister of Gibraltar during my visit to Gibraltar on 12 and 13 April.
	The UK remains fully committed to the Trilateral Forum as the best means of improving co-operation to the benefit of all the people in the region. I am confident that both the Spanish and Gibraltar Governments share this aim. Judicial, customs and police co-operation is one of the six areas currently being developed under the auspices of the forum.

Iraq: Iran

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to assist the residents of Camp Ashraf.

Alistair Burt: Our embassy officials meet regularly with the UN Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) and international partners to discuss the situation in Camp Ashraf. We remain concerned about recent developments and have urged the Iraqi authorities to take immediate steps to calm the situation at the camp; ensure that medical supplies are able to enter; and ensure that the human rights of camp residents are respected. We will continue to monitor developments at the camp closely.

Iraq: Iran

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Iraqi ambassador about recent attacks on Camp Ashraf by the Iraqi army.

Alistair Burt: Iraq is yet to appoint a new ambassador to the United Kingdom. However, following an incident on 8 April 2011 at Camp Ashraf, I released a statement calling on the Government of Iraq to cease violent operations in Camp Ashraf immediately.
	Our embassy officials, including our ambassador in Baghdad, have raised concerns about the incident with the Iraqi President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Minister of Human Rights. We have made it clear to the Iraqi authorities that we deplore any loss of life and have urged them to set up an independent investigation into the incident.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 4 April 2011 about a constituent.

David Lidington: The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), replied to the hon. Member for Walsall North on 28 April 2011.

Palestinians

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on actions by the Palestinian Authority to honour Palestinian citizens that have participated in terrorist acts; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK deplores all incitement to violence. The naming of a square after the leader of the 1978 terrorist attack would have been distasteful under any circumstances, but particularly so in the wake of the murders that occurred in Itamar. We also strongly oppose the payment of cash directly linked to acts of violence. Our Consulate General in Jerusalem will raise these issues with the Fatah Leadership.
	We welcomed Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas' condemnation of the murders that occurred in Itamar. He said they were despicable, immoral and inhuman. We endorse President Abbas's commitment to a path of non-violence and a negotiated solution to the peace process.

Sri Lanka: Elections

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on voter registration of displaced civilians in the north of Sri Lanka during that country's recent local elections.

Alistair Burt: We have some concerns about the registration of voters in the north of Sri Lanka, particularly registration of the displaced population. Our high commission in Colombo has raised these concerns with the Government and is considering projects which might provide practical assistance with voter registration.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the state of civil society in Sri Lanka.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) 2010 Human Rights and Democracy Report highlights areas of progress, as well as the challenges that remain. The report is available on the FCO Website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/global-issues/human-rights/around-the-world/human-rights-report/
	We remain concerned about the difficult environment for civil society groups, media and opposition. Prominent human rights defenders have faced criticism from the Government, human rights organisations have experienced difficulties with visas to work in Sri Lanka and activists have been intimidated when carrying out their work. We continue to make our concerns known to the Government of Sri Lanka most recently when I met the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister on 31 March 2011.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the role of the military in civilian life in Sri Lanka.

Alistair Burt: Although the military conflict ended in May 2009, military personnel in Sri Lanka continue to maintain a significant presence. We are aware of increasing involvement by the Sri Lankan army in civilian activities, including law enforcement, particularly in the north. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence also control the Urban Development Authority. We believe the extension of military activity to areas of civilian life may hinder the reconciliation process.

Sri Lanka: Press Freedom

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on media freedom in Sri Lanka.

Alistair Burt: We monitor the issue of media freedom in Sri Lanka closely. The media there continues to operate in a difficult environment. We regularly urge the Government of Sri Lanka to take decisive action to guarantee press freedom and raise particular cases of concern. Our 2010 Human Rights and Democracy Report:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/global-issues/human-rights/around-the-world/human-rights-report/
	highlights areas of progress as well as the challenges that remain.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Royal Ulster Constabulary: Catholicism

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary were (a) Catholic and (b) Protestant at the time it was disbanded.

Owen Paterson: The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) came into being on 4 November 2001, by virtue of section 1 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000. At that time there was a total of 9,446 police officers, including reserve officers. Of that total 756 were Catholic, 8,305 were Protestant and 385 were of undetermined community background.

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Working Hours

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions Ministers in his Department have had in the Council of Ministers on (a) the European Aviation Safety Agency and (b) Flight Time Limitations.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Stephen Lloyd) of 28 February 2011, Official Report, column 178W.

Railways: Electrification

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that Network Rail take steps to reduce delays and cancellations caused by the freezing of the third electrified rail on South East franchise rail lines.

Theresa Villiers: The “third-rail” electrified network has suffered disruption during the last three winters because of the formation of ice on electrical conductor rails. As a result, during 2010 Network Rail installed experimental heating elements at selected sites to keep the conductor rail free of ice when such conditions arise.
	It is understood that very good test results were achieved during the severe weather in December 2010, and Network Rail is now proposing to install the system at an additional 160 sites.
	I have discussed this potential solution with senior representatives of Network Rail and the Office of Rail Regulation, and will continue to monitor the progress of this and other actions to improve rail service resilience in the future.
	The Quarmby review of the resilience of England's transport systems in winter recommended that conversion of the top contact/third rail system to a less vulnerable method of traction current supply should be considered and evaluated.
	The Secretary of State asked the rail industry to formulate proposals in response to the recommendations in the report, including third-rail alternatives, to help the rail system to improve its resilience in winter weather.
	In addition the Rail Safety and Standards Board has initiated a research study into the economics of converting to alternatives to the third rail DC system. The outputs of this research work will help inform future investment decisions in relation to the electrified rail network.

JUSTICE

Crime

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions (a) antisocial behaviour orders, (b) acceptable behaviour contracts, (c) warnings, (d) individual support plans, (e) action plan orders, (f) child safety orders, (g) referral orders, (h) parenting orders, (i) parenting contracts, (j) local child curfew schemes, (k) dispersal powers, (l ) fixed penalty notices for disorderly behaviour, (m) detention and training orders, (n) seizure of vehicles used antisocially, (o) closure of licensed premises, (p) confiscation of alcohol from young people and (q) designated public places orders have been used in each (i) local authority and (ii) basic command unit of each police authority area in each region of England and Wales in each year since 2007.

Crispin Blunt: The available information required to answer this question is currently being collated. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available. A copy will be placed in the House Library.

Crime

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) prosecutions have been brought and (b) fixed penalty notices have been issued by (i) police and (ii) local authorities for (A) fly-tipping, (B) graffiti, (C) dog fouling, (D) the dropping of litter and (E) parking offences in each year since 2008.

Crispin Blunt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 March 2011, Official Report, column 558W, for the requested information on the number of prosecutions.
	Regarding the information requested on fixed penalty notices, please note that a penalty notice for disorder (PND) may be issued for offences of criminal damage (which includes graffiti) and littering. See Table 1 for the number of persons aged 16 and over issued with a PND for these offences in England and Wales for 2008 and 2009.
	PND data for 2010 are planned for publication on 26 May 2011.
	The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published data on fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for offences listed in parts (B) to (D) of the question. FPNs cannot be issued for fly-tipping. Police community support officers can issue FPNs on behalf of the local authority and these are included in the aggregated figure provided by each local authority to DEFRA. The available information on the number of FPNs issued, by offence type, in England for 2007-08 and 2008-09 can be viewed in Table 2. DEFRA advise that this data collection is now discontinued.
	The Home Office advises that information for parking offences in 2008 and 2009 is published in chapter 3 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Police Powers and Procedures 2009/10", a copy of which can be found in the Library of the House. Fixed penalty notice data for 2010 are due to be published in 2011.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of persons aged 16 and over issued with a penalty notice for disorder for criminal damage and depositing and leaving litter offences, England and Wales, 2008 and 2009  (1) 
			  2008 2009 
			 Criminal damage (under £500) 13,427 10,145 
			 Depositing and leaving litter 1,202 1,148 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of fixed penalty notices issued in England, 2007-08 and 2008-09 
			 (B) Graffiti 
			 Reporting year (April to March) Number 
			 2008-09 119 
			 2007-08 138 
		
	
	
		
			 (C) Dog fouling 
			 Reporting year (April to March) Number 
			 2008-09 2,071 
			 2007-08 2,079 
		
	
	
		
			 (D) Litter 
			 Reporting year (April to March) Number 
			 2008-09 35,465 
			 2007-08 33,693 
			 Source:  Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Driving Offences

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been prosecuted for driving a car while uninsured in each police authority area in the East of England in each year since 2006.

Crispin Blunt: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts in the East of England region for driving without insurance, by police force area, for the year 2006-09 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
	Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication on 26 May 2011.
	
		
			 Number of persons proceeded against at the magistrates court for driving without insurance, in the East of England region by police force area, 2006-09  (1, 2) 
			 Statute Offence description Proceeded against 
			 Road Traffic Act 1988 S.143(2) Using motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks 2006 2007 2008 2009 
			 Police force area within East of England      
			 Bedfordshire  2,702 2,436 2,572 2,683 
			 Cambridgeshire  2,826 1,972 1,435 1,516 
			 Essex  4,511 4,865 4,176 4,372 
			 Hertfordshire  6,023 4,523 3,491 3,056 
			 Norfolk  2,690 2,509 2,440 1,540 
			 Suffolk  2,250 1,768 1,645 1,868 
			 Total  21,002 18,073 15,759 15,035 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice.

Driving Offences

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many drivers have been prosecuted for (a) offences under sections (i) 3 and (ii) 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and (b) failing to stop after an accident under the provisions of that Act in Suffolk in each year since 2009.

Crispin Blunt: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave on 10 March 2011, Official Report, columns 1211-12W.
	Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication on 26 May 2011.

Human Trafficking: Sentencing

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to increase the length of sentences for traffickers in forced labour cases for the purposes of ensuring that sentences passed (a) reflect the seriousness of the crime committed and (b) are significant enough to act as an effective deterrent.

Crispin Blunt: The offences of trafficking people for exploitation, trafficking people for prostitution and trafficking people for sexual exploitation all carry a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment, which reflects the seriousness of these crimes. Within the maximum penalty, sentencing is entirely a matter for the courts, taking account of all the circumstances of each case and any relevant sentencing guidelines and case law.

Offenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders on (a) probation and (b) licence have travelled abroad unsupervised in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: Information on the number of offenders who have been given permission to travel abroad while on licence is not held centrally. To provide such information would incur disproportionate cost.

Police: Prison Accommodation

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners are being held in police cells; at what cost; and how many have been so held in (a) England and Wales and (b) each police force area in each year since 2009.

Crispin Blunt: Police cells, under Operation Safeguard, have not been used since 22 September 2008 and no police cells under Operation Safeguard have been on stand by since the end of October 2008.
	In addition to Operation Safeguard arrangements, prisoners may be held overnight in police cells as a “lockout”. Lockouts can arise from a number of factors, including late court sittings, which can compromise the contractors' ability to deliver the prisoner to prison prior to the reception closure time. Under an agreement between NOMS and ACPO, NOMS are charged a flat rate fee of £55.00 per prisoner per night for the use of police cells in these circumstances.
	On 26 April 2010, Official Report, column168W, I provided my hon. Friend with the total number of prisoners held overnight in a police cell as a lockout in 2010.
	The following table shows the number of lockouts in 2009, 2010 (information provided previously) and 2011 (up to 31 March).
	
		
			 Number of l  ockouts in 2009, 2010 and 2011  (1)  by police force area 
			 Police force 2009 2010 2011  (1) 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 12 4 4 
			 BTP 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Buckinghamshire 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 
			 City of London 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 9 4 0 
			 Dorset 0 3 0 
			 Durham 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed Powys 0 0 0 
			 Essex 8 9 1 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 0 1 0 
			 Gwent 0 1 0 
			 Hampshire 6 8 3 
			 Hertfordshire 11 10 3 
			 Humberside 0 3 1 
			 Kent 4 19 1 
			 Lancashire 2 0 0 
			 Leicestershire 20 11 2 
			 Lincolnshire 1 2 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 
			 Metropolitan Police 67 101 31 
			 Middlesex 0 0 0 
			 Norfolk 3 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 1 0 
			 North Wales 0 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 3 1 0 
			 Northumbria 0 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 2 0 1 
			 South Yorkshire 0 1 0 
			 South Wales 0 0 0 
			 Staffordshire 0 1 0 
			 Suffolk 0 7 0 
			 Surrey 6 2 0 
			 Sussex 3 19 0 
			 Thames Valley 18 10 0 
			 West Mercia 0 0 0 
			 West Midlands 0 0 0 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 0 
			 Warwickshire 0 2 0 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 0 
			 Total 175 220 47 
			 (1) Up to 31 March

Prison Service: Violence

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Prison Service's policy on zero tolerance on violence;
	(2)  what checks are in place to ensure the accuracy of reporting of assaults on Prison Service staff.

Crispin Blunt: NOMS is folly committed to zero tolerance to violence in prisons. No act of violence is acceptable, be it verbal, physical or directed at property. Zero tolerance is a proactive approach to reducing violence in all its forms, in our prisons, and is subject to ongoing and robust monitoring.
	The Incident Reporting System (IRS, now integrated on to the NOMIS system) is used to record events that undermine the safety of those within an establishment. Assaults are one category of IRS data. The data-entry process is largely reliant on each establishment accurately recording incidents as they occur.
	Every assault incident entered onto NOMIS is subject to a central check to ensure that the incident has been reported correctly on the reporting system. If the incident has been reported incorrectly then the establishment is contacted and asked to rectify the error. Once the incident has been entered correctly it is locked and the establishment is no longer able to modify the incident report without contacting NOMS HQ. At regular intervals NOMS HQ will follow up any outstanding incidents with establishments to ensure they are captured accurately and in full.
	NOMS uses NOMIS data to undertake quarterly monitoring on levels of violence, referrals to the police and the number of successful prosecutions.
	NOMS is committed to open reporting and since 2009 data on violence in prisons has been published in the Ministry of Justice Safety in Custody statistics.

Prisons: Private Sector

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost per prisoner place in each private sector prison (a) including and (b) excluding any capital repayment element in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The following two tables show the cost per place and per prisoner for the four years 2006-07 to 2009-10. Figures for 2010-11 are not yet available.
	For each year the direct cost is shown. Additionally, for 2007-08 to 2009-10 an overall cost is also shown (this information was not collected prior to 2007-08). The direct cost reflects mainly the direct contract costs for each private prison. The overall cost also includes costs met centrally by NOMS, including rates, depreciation, cost of capital, major maintenance, prisoner transport, etc. This includes some estimation.
	The capital repayment element is not normally included in the cost per place/prisoner as it is not part of the annual resource operating cost. In table 2 it has been added to the direct cost only, as the overall cost figures in Table 1 already include depreciation and cost of capital charges.
	Doncaster and Wolds are privately managed prisons, while the remainder are run under private finance initiative contract arrangements. Due to changes in accounting treatment over the period covered, the figures are not necessarily directly comparable.
	Cost per prison place is expressed in terms of the baseline certified normal accommodation number of places, which will generally give a higher unit cost than the cost per prisoner.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			 2009-10 
			  Direct   r  esource   e  xpenditure (£) Overall   e  xpenditure (£) 
			 exc. Capital   r  epayment Cost per place Cost per prisoner Cost per place Cost per prisoner 
			 Altcourse 58,486 35,883 61,926 37,993 
			 Ashfield 56,858 81,292 57,273 81,885 
			 Bronzefield 51,817 54,865 56,126 59,428 
			 Doncaster 30,475 21,018 43,937 30,302 
			 Dovegate 34,844 32,995 37,039 35,074 
			 Forest Bank 36,051 26,300 40,173 29,307 
			 Lowdham Grange 31,114 29,215 34,191 32,105 
			 Pare 54,169 38,660 56,974 40,662 
			 Peterborough 37,253 32,937 41,462 36,658 
			 Rye Hill 30,775 28,284 33,632 30,910 
			 Wolds 29,195 24,197 40,737 33,765 
			 Total 40,840 33,354 45,409 37,086 
		
	
	
		
			 2008-09 
			  Direct   r  esource   e  xpenditure (£) Overall   e  xpenditure (£) 
			 exc. Capital   r  epayment Cost per place Cost per prisoner Cost per place Cost per prisoner 
			 Altcourse 58,885 36,982 62,701 39,379 
			 Ashfield 56,672 63,424 59,033 66,067 
			 Bronzefield 57,817 59,537 60,348 62,143 
			 Doncaster 37,820 26,205 44,026 30,504 
			 Dovegate 34,829 33,220 37,305 35,581 
			 Forest Bank 35,652 25,576 38,845 27,867 
			 Lowdham Grange 32,207 30,153 34,699 32,486 
			 Pare 53,615 37,698 57,033 40,101 
			 Peterborough 38,584 33,563 41,303 35,928 
			 Rye Hill 31,095 28,880 33,594 31,202 
			 Wolds 37,228 31,302 42,720 35,920 
			 Total 42,686 34,437 46,054 37,153 
		
	
	
		
			 2007-08 
			  Direct r  esource   e  xpenditure (£) Overall   e  xpenditure (£) 
			 exc. Capital   r  epayment Cost per place Cost per prisoner Cost per place Cost per prisoner 
			 Altcourse 58,464 34,740 62,213 36,968 
			 Ashfield 54,950 58,089 58,473 61,814 
			 Bronzefield 53,824 54,922 57,275 58,444 
			 Doncaster 36,055 24,513 46,437 31,572 
			 Dovegate 32,668 31,039 34,763 33,029 
			 Forest Bank 32,955 24,121 35,068 25,667 
			 Lowdham Grange 30,498 29,440 32,454 31,328 
			 Pare 50,330 37,324 53,557 39,718 
			 Peterborough 36,138 31,786 38,455 33,824 
			 Rye Hill 29,532 28,859 31,426 30,709 
			 Wolds 33,986 29,236 44,236 38,053 
			 Total 40301 32,760 44,111 35,856 
		
	
	
		
			 2006-07 
			  Direct resource expenditure (£) Overall expenditure (£) 
			 exc. Capital repayment Cost per place Cost per prisoner Cost per place Cost per prisoner 
			 Altcourse 55,108 32,947 n/a n/a 
			 Ashfield 49,960 54,304 n/a n/a 
			 Bronzefield 47,045 50,285 n/a n/a 
			 Doncaster 27,828 19,312 n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			 Dovegate 29,048 28,619 n/a n/a 
			 Forest Bank 29,097 22,212 n/a n/a 
			 Lowdham Grange 27,264 25,447 n/a n/a 
			 Pare 44,080 34,914 n/a n/a 
			 Peterborough 31,319 30,626 n/a n/a 
			 Rye Hill 24,577 24,455 n/a n/a 
			 Wolds 25,221 21,638 n/a n/a 
			 Total 34,996 29,534 n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2 
			  2009-10 
			 Inc.  Capital repayment (direct resource expenditure  ) Cost per place   (£) Cost per prisoner   (£) 
			 Altcourse 61,254 37,581 
			 Ashfield 60,839 86,985 
			 Bronzefield 54,438 57,641 
			 Doncaster 30,475 21,018 
			 Dovegate 38,577 36,531 
			 Forest Bank 37,557 27,399 
			 Lowdham Grange 33,323 31,289 
			 Pare 58,687 41,885 
			 Peterborough 39,049 34,525 
			 Rye Hill 32,401 29,779 
			 Wolds 29,195 24,197 
			 Total 43,181 35,266 
		
	
	
		
			  2008-09 
			 Inc.  Capital repayment (direct resource expenditure) Cost per place   (£) Cost per prisoner   (£) 
			 Altcourse 61,440 38,587 
			 Ashfield 60,357 67,549 
			 Bronzefield 60,426 62,224 
			 Doncaster 37,820 26,205 
			 Dovegate 38,860 37,065 
			 Forest Bank 37,191 26,680 
			 Lowdham Grange 34,280 32,094 
			 Pare 57,780 40,626 
			 Peterborough 40,281 35,039 
			 Rye Hill 32,605 30,283 
			 Wolds 37,228 31,302 
			 Total 44,933 36,249 
		
	
	
		
			  2007-08 
			 Inc.  Capital repayment (direct resource expenditure) Cost per place (£) Cost per prisoner (£) 
			 Altcourse 61,068 36,287 
			 Ashfield 58,361 61,696 
			 Bronzefield 56,306 57,455 
			 Doncaster 36,055 24,513 
			 Dovegate 36,407 34,591 
			 Forest Bank 34,391 25,172 
			 Lowdham Grange 32,414 31,290 
			 Pare 54,169 40,171 
			 Peterborough 37,740 33,195 
			 Rye Hill 30,935 30,229 
			 Wolds 33,986 29,236 
			 Total 42,409 34,474 
		
	
	
		
			  2006-07 
			 Inc.  Capital repayment (direct resource expenditure) Cost per place (£) Cost per prisoner (£) 
			 Altcourse 57,923 34,629 
			 Ashfield 53,174 57,797 
			 Bronzefield 49,406 52,809 
			 Doncaster 27,828 19,312 
			 Dovegate 32,516 32,036 
			 Forest Bank 30,437 23,234 
			 Lowdham Grange 29,513 27,545 
			 Pare 47,618 37,717 
			 Peterborough 32,833 32,106 
			 Rye Hill 25,879 25,750 
			 Wolds 25,221 21,638 
			 Total 37,025 31,246

Prisons: Private Sector

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much disinvestment he expects will be required from each private sector prison in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Crispin Blunt: The level or nature of disinvestment has not yet been agreed. We are in negotiations with the main providers of contracts to central Government and decisions regarding the disinvestment in private sector prisons are dependent on the outcome of these discussions.

Prisons: Public Expenditure

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what level of efficiency savings he expects each of the public sector prisons to achieve in each of the next five years.

Crispin Blunt: I assume the right hon. Member wants the percentage level of efficiency savings predictions for the next five years. There are currently targeted plans that span the spending review period through to 2014-15. As part of the plans to deliver the savings required in the current spending review, public sector prisons will be required to deliver real terms efficiency savings of 10% by 2014-15. The intention is not to realise the 10% savings equally across all of the public sector prisons, but to ensure that local factors are taken into account in efficiency plans.

Prisons: Visits

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people visiting prisons were found to be in possession of illegal drugs in each year since 2007-08; how many such people were referred to the police; and what steps were taken in respect of those not referred to the police in each such case.

Crispin Blunt: Information on the number of visitors to prisons in England and Wales found in possession of illegal drugs is not recorded centrally. Information on the actions taken in respect of visitors not referred to police is now held at local level. To provide the information would require a detailed investigation into all local records and incur disproportionate cost. It is NOMS policy to refer all visitors found to be in possession of drugs, to the police.
	The following table shows a breakdown by year of visitors arrested or apprehended who have been suspected of smuggling drugs into prisons in England and Wales.
	
		
			  Total 
			 2007-08 432 
			 2008-09 472 
			 2009-10 354 
			 2010-11 282 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.
	These figures may change should any further incidents relating to this period be identified and reported to NOMS.

Privacy

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on super-injunctions issued in relation to the right to privacy; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: We are currently examining the issue of how reliable data on the number of injunctions issued by the courts might be collated in the future.

Privacy

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to amend the law on privacy.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government recognise the importance of finding the correct balance between individual rights to privacy on one hand with rights to freedom of expression and transparency of official information on the other. Our proposed reforms of the law of defamation are one aspect of this balancing process. Another is the Master of the Rolls' Committee to examine the use of super-injunctions and other issues relating to injunctions which bind the press. The Government will await the report from the Master of the Rolls Committee before deciding on next steps.

Secure Accommodation: Young Offenders

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library copies of the most recent reports by Youth Justice Board performance monitors on the secure estate.

Crispin Blunt: Reports prepared by Youth Justice Board (YJB) performance monitors on the secure estate are used for internal management by the YJB. They allow the YJB to consider commissioning and performance options, and factors relating to the placement of young people. Reports contain personal, sensitive and commercial information that if published would compromise function, relationships and prejudice contracts. HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Ofsted undertake formal inspections of the youth secure estate and their reports are published and can be accessed through the inspectorate websites.

Secure Accommodation: Young Offenders

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse arising from the closure of facilities in the youth justice secure estate in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Crispin Blunt: The estimated savings generated by the Youth Justice Board through its decommissioning of parts of the youth secure estate in 2011-12 are £17.6 million.
	The decommissioning programme began in 2009 and generated savings of £6.25 million in 2009-10 and £21.949 million in 2010-11.
	Savings across the remainder of the spending review period are yet to be finalised and will depend on the demand for youth secure places in the period.

Sentencing: Females

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many women who formerly served in the armed forces are serving a custodial sentence in prisons in England and Wales; and how many such prisoners have children who are in the care of a local authority or kinship placement.

Crispin Blunt: In September 2010, the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Defence published the results of a joint study to estimate how many prisoners in England and Wales had been in the regular armed forces. This showed that 3.5% of prisoners had previously served in the regular armed forces, of which 0.4% were female. This report may be found in the House of Commons Library and at the following web link:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index. php?page=66&pubType=3
	Data on prisoners with children who are in the care of a local authority or kinship placement are not held centrally, and to collect them would incur disproportionate cost.

Young Offenders

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) 15, (b) 16 and (c) 17-year-olds were given custodial sentences in each police force area since 2009; and what the average length was of such sentences.

Crispin Blunt: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 16 March 2011, Official Report, column 474W.
	Please note that court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication on 26 May 2011.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2010, Official Report, column 309W, on the BBC, what progress has been made on proposals to make the BBC more accountable to Parliament; what discussions he has had with the BBC on this issue since October 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: My officials are working with the BBC Trust on the detail of the new arrangements. The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, the right hon. Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt) discussed the matter in a phone call with the chairman of the BBC Trust on 24 March.
	Another new measure to increase the BBC’s accountability to Parliament has been the recent introduction by the Government of pre-appointment scrutiny for the post of BBC Trust chairman by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. This offers Parliament the opportunity to assess a preferred candidate’s suitability for the role and their key priorities in advance of appointment. The committee held a pre-appointment hearing with Lord Patten on 10 March.

Broadband

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to facilitate competition in the deployment of superfast broadband.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 28 April 2011
	The Government’s broadband strategy, “Britain’s Superfast Broadband Future” published in December 2010 includes a number of policy and regulatory interventions aimed at supporting and stimulating investment in superfast broadband networks—including encouraging sharing of infrastructure, allowing new deployment of overhead communications cables and encouraging other methods of reducing civil engineering costs such as micro-trenching. The Government are also investing £530 million up to 2015 to support broadband rollout in areas the market will not reach in a reasonable time. Those projects will be subject to open competitive tender procedures consistent with European procurement guidelines. The networks they support will have to be made available on an open access basis.

Copyright: Internet

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when Ofcom expects to publish the Initial Obligations Code.

Jeremy Hunt: The Office of Communications (Ofcom) have produced a draft Initial Obligations Code which we are considering closely within Government. However, the code must reflect and contain the provisions of the cost-sharing statutory instrument, which will itself have to be withdrawn and amended to reflect the judgment in the judicial review of the online infringement of copyright provisions. This will inevitably lead to a delay in the code's publication, but I would hope that we can make clear the Government's proposed changes shortly, together with the overall implementation timetable.

Departmental Work Experience

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many students from (a) the UK and (b) Bassetlaw constituency have been offered internships in his Department since 8 May 2010.

John Penrose: The Department has not offered internships to students in the UK or from the Bassetlaw constituency since 8 May 2010.

Departmental Work Experience

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what remuneration his Department offers interns.

Jeremy Hunt: My Department would pay the equivalent of a grade C (EO) salary—£23,197.

Digital Economy Act 2010

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will publish a timetable for the implementation of the Digital Economy Act 2010.

Jeremy Hunt: The implementation of the online infringement of copyright initial obligations has been affected by a number of factors. We now have the judgment from the judicial review, and are currently considering the changes which will need to be made to the cost-sharing statutory instrument in light of this. This will inevitably impact on the timetable for implementing the notification provisions of the Digital Economy Act. The report by Ofcom into the workability of sections 17 and 18 of the Act is due shortly. I will set out what action we plan to take as soon as we have had an opportunity to consider the report and all other relevant factors.

Digital Economy Act 2010

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when the review of Section 17 of the Digital Economy Act 2010 will report.

Jeremy Hunt: We expect the report from Ofcom into the technical workability of the reserve site blocking provisions by the middle of May this year.

English Heritage

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether English Heritage plans to tender for the digitisation of aerial surveys undertaken in the 1940s.

John Penrose: English Heritage (EH) has no plans to tender for the digitisation of the 1940s post-war aerial photographic surveys at present. The photography is fully catalogued and access to the images is provided for a wide range of private and commercial users through the EH national collection of archives in Swindon.

House of European History

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department plans to loan any exhibits to the House of European History project.

Edward Vaizey: This Department is not aware of any requests to our sponsored museums to loan exhibits to the House of European History project. Any such requests would be made to the museums directly.

Internet: Children

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to assist children to use the Internet safely.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 28 April 2011
	The protection of children from illegal and harmful content when online is an absolute priority for this Government. The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) brings together over 170 organisations including Government Departments such as the Department for Education, the Home Office, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, children's charities, law enforcement and academia. UKCCIS members are committed to working together to help keep children and young people safe online.
	The UK has a very successful model of industry-led self-regulation. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) works closely with internet service providers to ensure that webpages which provide access to images of child abuse, including those hosted outside of the UK, are reported and removed or blocked at source. Government are also working closely with industry as part of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety to improve many aspects of children's digital safety.
	In addition, I hosted a discussion in February with internet service providers, UKCCIS, the IWF and other interested groups to look at how parental controls can be further improved. A further discussion has been arranged to look at progress on this issue in May this year.

Local Press: Competition

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the level of competitiveness in the local newspaper supply chains in England.

Edward Vaizey: We have made no recent assessment of the level of competitiveness in local newspaper supply chains in England.

National Lottery: Retail Trade

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will direct (a) his Department and (b) the National Lottery Commission to undertake an investigation into the rules governing (i) the siting of lottery terminals and (ii) the allocation of such terminals to supermarkets.

John Penrose: The selection of national lottery retailers is, rightly, a commercial matter for Camelot, as it is incentivised to place the terminals where they will generate the most sales and therefore revenue for good causes.
	Camelot is required, through its licence to operate the national lottery, to apply clear and reasonable criteria when selecting retailers. The National Lottery Commission is assured that the criteria in place are reasonable and that Camelot has been applying those criteria in making decisions.

Olympic Games 2012

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he plans to publish details of compensation available for businesses affected by the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

Hugh Robertson: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), who has the responsibility for implementing the advertising and trading regulations at Games time, has a statutory requirement to publish a Detailed Notice giving advice to those directly involved six months before the advertising and trading regulations come into effect. The notice is expected to be published in late 2011/early 2012 and will cover financial assistance arrangements.

Olympic Games 2012: Small Businesses

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has considered the merits of funding a programme of advice and support for small businesses in the regulated zones surrounding the Olympic Park.

Hugh Robertson: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), who has the responsibility for implementing the advertising and trading regulations at games time, has a small budget to provide advice and assistance to those affected by the regulations. The ODA has a statutory requirement to publish a detailed notice giving advice to those directly involved six months before the regulations come into effect. The notice is expected to be published in late 2011/early 2012.

Rugby: World Cup

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had on funding for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: I met with the executive chairman and chief executive of the Rugby Football League on 7 April to discuss the 2013 World cup. I am keeping the funding situation under review pending the decision by the North West Development Agency which is due by the end of May.

Rugby: World Cup

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to ensure that the North West benefits from the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.

Hugh Robertson: I have written to the chair of the Regional Development Agency, Robert Hough, making clear the Government's interest in 2013.

Rugby: World Cup

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had on Warrington's bid to host matches for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: The selection of venues for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup is a matter for the Rugby Football League. I have not discussed any of the bids to host matches.

UK Film Council

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will assess the merits of launching a review of film policy following the abolition of the UK Film Council.

Jeremy Hunt: We have assessed the merits and believe this will be a useful exercise.

White List

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  for how long he expects the White List to remain suspended;
	(2)  what plans he to introduce a replacement for the White List;
	(3)  whether his Department plans to compensate countries wishing to join the White List in respect of revenue foregone due to the suspension of the White List.

John Penrose: The previous Government decided it was not appropriate to consider any new applications for the White List while the future of remote gambling regulation is under consideration, and we agree. I hope to announce the Government’s preferred solution in due course. There are no plans to compensate jurisdictions who might wish to join the White List, and it would be hard to justify why British taxpayers should be asked to make such payments.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legal advice she has received on the effect on local authority licensing arrangements of the introduction of a (a) voluntary and (b) mandatory minimum price per unit of alcohol.

James Brokenshire: The Secretary of State has received legal advice on a range of issues pertaining to alcohol pricing, including the effect of a minimum price per unit of alcohol on local authority licensing arrangements. The content of legal advice is subject to legal professional privilege and it is not appropriate to set it out at this stage other than in terms of the areas to which it relates.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were for being drunk and disorderly of defendants aged 10 to 17 years in (a) England and Wales and (b) each police force area in England in each year since 2006.

James Brokenshire: The number of persons aged 10 to 17 proceeded against for being drunk and disorderly, by police force area, England and Wales 2006-09 (latest available) is shown in the table.
	Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication on 26 May 2011.
	
		
			 Number of persons aged 10 to 17 proceeded against at magistrates courts for being ‘drunk and disorderly’  (1)  , by police force area, England and Wales 2006  -  09  (2,3,4) 
			 Police force area 2006 2007 2008 2009 
			 Avon and Somerset 25 34 16 21 
			 Bedfordshire 7 10 7 5 
			 Cambridgeshire 13 11 2 8 
			 Cheshire 14 30 42 28 
			 Cleveland 18 25 38 33 
			 Cumbria 48 56 72 47. 
			 Derbyshire 18 20 41 17 
			 Devon and Cornwall 82 107 81 70 
			 Dorset 10 23 9 22 
			 Durham 52 83 82 47 
			 Essex 11 11 15 26 
			 Gloucestershire 5 4 11 2 
			 Greater Manchester 21 31 63 59 
			 Hampshire 33 32 42 41 
			 Hertfordshire 10 4 3 5 
			 Humberside 19 14 11 28 
			 Kent 69 76 56 34 
			 Lancashire 92 120 171 173 
			 Leicestershire — 3 4 5 
			 Lincolnshire 2 4 3 5 
			 Merseyside 77 107 118 95 
			 Metropolitan Police(5) 34 44 31 35 
			 Norfolk 3 11 19 20 
			 North Yorkshire 27 27 35 29 
			 Northamptonshire 4 4 8 6 
			 Northumbria 441 547 508 486 
			 Nottinghamshire 18 13 16 19 
			 South Yorkshire 64 53 90 67 
			 Staffordshire 12 20 24 29 
			 Suffolk 8 4 4 2 
			 Surrey 13 6 7 3 
			 Sussex 37 45 53 53 
			 Thames Valley 36 21 17 18 
			 Warwickshire 7 11 7 4 
			 West Mercia 51 50 47 42 
			 West Midlands 42 80 64 42 
			 West Yorkshire 128 164 146 139 
			 Wiltshire 14 4 6 7 
			 Dyfed-Powys 22 16 12 9 
			 Gwent 35 46 33 25 
			 North Wales 24 25 29 13 
			 South Wales 39 24 14 14 
			 England and Wales 1,685 2,020 2,057 1,833 
			 (1) Includes: Being guilty in any public place, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour. Being found drunk in a highway or other public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July, and August 2008. (5) Includes City of London. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services In She Ministry of Justice

Animal Experiments

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the establishment of limits on the pain which laboratory animals are permitted to experience for experimental purposes in laboratories.

Lynne Featherstone: The criteria used to assign severity limits to regulated procedures are set out in paragraphs 5.40 to 5.42 of the Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (HC321). Copies of the Guidance have been placed in the House Library.

Asylum

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long, on average, the UK Border Agency took to process an asylum application in the latest period for which figures are available.

Damian Green: In the most recent 12 months for which data are available, the average length of time to process an asylum application to full determination was 263 calendar days.
	In answering this question we have assumed the date of final determination to be the date an application was either Granted or became Appeal Rights Exhausted (ARE).
	For those cases which had no recourse to appeal, chose not to exercise appeal rights or appealed too late, we have taken final determination to be the date of initial decision.
	All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

Asylum: North Africa

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications were received from residents of (a) Mauritania, (b) Morocco, (c) Algeria, (d) Tunisia, (e) Libya and (f) Egypt in each month of 2010-11.

Damian Green: The following table shows the number of asylum applications received in the UK, excluding dependants, for nationals of (a) Mauritania, (b) Morocco, (c) Algeria, (d) Tunisia, (e) Libya and (f) Egypt in each month of 2010-11. Information on residents of the above countries is not available.
	
		
			 Asylum applications  (1)   received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, January 2010 to February 2011, nationals of Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt 
			  Country of nationality 
			  Mauritania Morocco Algeria Tunisia Libya Egypt 
			 2010       
			 January — — 30 — 10 5 
			 February — 5 20 * 10 5 
			 March * * 25 5 5 5 
			 April — * 25 * 5 5 
			 May — 5 20 * 5 10 
			 June — 5 30 — 5 5 
			 July * 5 20 5 5 10 
			 August * 5 15 * 10 10 
			 September — 5 15 * 10 5 
			 October — 5 25 5 10 5 
			 November * 5 20 * 10 5 
			 December — 5 30 * 10 10 
			 Total 2010 5 40 270 20 90 90 
			        
			 2011       
			 January * 10 30 5 10 10 
			 February — 5 20 * 20 10 
			 Total January to February 2011 * 15 50 5 30 20 
			 (1) Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5 (“—” = 0, “*” = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. 
		
	
	Further information on asylum applications are published monthly, quarterly and annually in the Control of Immigration bulletins and Monthly Asylum Applications Tables available from the Home Office’s science, research and statistics web pages at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics
	The Control of Immigration bulletins are also available from the Library of the House.

COE Commissioner for Human Rights

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  with reference to the issue of the paper on Criminalisation of migration in Europe: human rights implications issued by the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, CommDH/Issue Paper (2010)1, whether (a) the Government and (b) the EU is considering any changes to immigration-related policies as a consequence of the issue paper and its recommendations;
	(2)  whether her Department has responded to the issue paper on Criminalisation of migration in Europe: human rights implications issued by the Commissioner of Human Rights of the Council of Europe, CommDH/Issue Paper (2010)1; and what assessment she has made of each conclusion and recommendation.

Damian Green: The Issue Paper mentioned was commissioned and published by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Thomas Hammarberg, following a seminar organised by the Commissioner's Office in Paris on 24-25 September 2009. The paper was issued “for the purpose of contributing to debate or further reflection” and does not necessarily reflect the position of the Commissioner.
	The Government are not considering any changes to immigration policies as a consequence of the paper and are not aware of any discussion or consideration of policy changes in the EU based on the paper. There is no obligation on Member Governments of the Council of Europe to take any follow up action on such papers and accordingly the Government have not responded to the paper, nor carried out a detailed assessment of its recommendations. The Government will continue to take firm action against illegal immigration whilst ensuring full respect of the human rights of individual migrants and of international obligations regarding the protection of genuine refugees.

Convictions

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a person with an unspent conviction who is thereby prohibited from making an application for funds under the domestic violence rule is eligible for support from (a) the Sojourner Project and (b) any other funding from the public purse; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: A person with an unspent conviction is not prevented from applying for (a) support from the Sojourner Project, (b) settlement under paragraph 289A of the Immigration Rules or (c) a waiver of the fee for such an application on the basis of destitution.

Crime

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) arrests and (b) prosecutions for (i) being drunk and disorderly, (ii) being found drunk on a highway, public place or on licensed premises and (iii) being drunk in or when entering a designated sports event there have been in each police force area in England and Wales in each year since 2007.

James Brokenshire: The number of defendants proceeded against for being ‘drunk and disorderly’ (which includes ‘Being guilty in any public place, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour’ and ‘being found drunk in a highway or other public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises’), and being drunk when entering a designated sports event by police force area, England and Wales 2007-09 (latest available) is shown in the following tables.
	Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication on 26 May 2011.
	The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery. It is not possible to identify the number of arrests made for alcohol related acts of disorder or violence from the data on arrests reported to the Home Office.
	
		
			 Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts for being ‘drunk and disorderly’ and being drunk at a designated sports event, by police force area England and Wales 2007  -  09  (1,2,3) 
			  2007 2008 
			  of which: of which: 
			 Police force area Drunk and disorderly Being found drunk in a highway or other public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises Being guilty in any public place, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour Drunk in, or when entering, a designated sports event Drunk and disorderly Being found drunk in a highway or other public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises Being guilty in any public place, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour Drunk in, or when entering, a designated sports event 
			 Avon and Somerset 347 103 244 5 260 66 194 1 
			 Bedfordshire 121 14 107 5 65 6 59 6 
			 Cambridgeshire 128 33 95 2 170 57 113 1 
			 Cheshire 225 10 275 2 366 2 364 — 
			 City of London 59 1 58 — 41 — 41 — 
			 Cleveland 140 2 138 12 328 — 328 13 
			 Cumbria 420 17 403 — 448 28 420 — 
			 Derbyshire 257 4 253 5 289 4 285 6 
			 Devon and Cornwall 763 160 603 5 962 196 766 4 
			 Dorset 138 1 137 5 171 6 165 3 
			 Durham 243 3 240 1 250 6 244 — 
			 Essex 207 4 203 11 194 6 188 7 
		
	
	
		
			 Gloucestershire 48 3 45 6 78 4 74 — 
			 Greater Manchester 300 7 293 13 663 — 663 6 
			 Hampshire 267 18 269 12 497 32 465 14 
			 Hertfordshire 64 — 64 1 90 4 86 1 
			 Humberside 73 1 72 1 78 1 77 4 
			 Kent 464 45 419 — 449 44 405 — 
			 Lancashire 755 8 747 19 1,120 14 1,106 17 
			 Leicestershire 41 — 41 2 49 — 49 3 
			 Lincolnshire 76 3 73 — 107 4 103 1 
			 Merseyside 1,203 5 1,198 5 1,703 7 1,696 13 
			 Metropolitan Police 1,121 70 1,051 20 1,050 34 1,016 15 
			 Norfolk 136 5 131 12 242 13 229 2 
			 North Yorkshire 309 87 222 — 400 65 335 1 
			 Northamptonshire 23 3 20 — 69 3 66 — 
			 Northumbria 4,310 29 4,289 17 3,543 43 3,500 29 
			 Nottinghamshire 262 3 259 14 255 1 254 18 
			 South Yorkshire 618 6 612 62 850 19 831 33 
			 Staffordshire 201 46 155 6 296 77 219 6 
			 Suffolk 110 21 89 8 34 8 26 14 
			 Surrey 191 100 91 — 217 80 137 — 
			 Sussex 523 92 431 — 536 86 450 — 
			 Thames Valley 261 28 233 1 230 29 201 — 
			 Warwickshire 56 — 56 — 85 — 85 — 
			 West Mercia 455 6 449 3 396 5 391 — 
			 West Midlands 1,264 44 1,220 81 1,328 22 1,306 32 
			 West Yorkshire 1,669 36 1,633 49 1,566 38 1,530 39 
			 Wiltshire 107 33 74 — 102 27 75 1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 219 46 173 — 176 22 154 — 
			 Gwent 371 2 369 — 328 4 324 — 
			 North Wales 241 3 238 — 245 3 242 3 
			 South Wales 223 24 199 3 195 10 185 — 
			 England and Wales 19,037 1,126 17,911 388 20,523 1,076 19,447 293 
		
	
	
		
			  2009 
			  of which: 
			 Police force area Drunk and disorderly Being found drunk in a highway or other public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises Being guilty in any public place, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour Drunk in, or when entering, a designated sports event 
			 Avon and Somerset 253 49 204 4 
			 Bedfordshire 48 6 42 2 
			 Cambridgeshire 171 54 117 4 
			 Cheshire 466 5 461 — 
			 City of London 53 1 52 — 
			 Cleveland 354 — 354 15 
			 Cumbria 385 25 360 __ 
			 Derbyshire 244 3 241 1 
			 Devon and Cornwall 928 166 762 6 
		
	
	
		
			 Dorset 262 10 252 3 
			 Durham 123 4 119 — 
			 Essex 326 9 317 1 
			 Gloucestershire 59 1 58 — 
			 Greater Manchester 788 2 786 7 
			 Hampshire 559 43 516 3 
			 Hertfordshire 91 2 89 2 
			 Humberside 177 5 172 6 
			 Kent 378 23 355 1 
			 Lancashire 1,386 5 1,381 20 
			 Leicestershire 67 — 67 — 
			 Lincolnshire 137 — 137 — 
			 Merseyside 2,090 8 2,082 10 
			 Metropolitan Police 1,313 32 1,281 6 
			 Norfolk 244 1 243 — 
			 North Yorkshire 389 49 340 — 
			 Northamptonshire 64 2 62 5 
			 Northumbria 3,395 38 3,357 28 
			 Nottinghamshire 322 2 320 10 
			 South Yorkshire 976 2 974 17 
			 Staffordshire 359 90 269 — 
			 Suffolk 28 3 25 7 
			 Surrey 154 31 123 — 
			 Sussex 529 93 436 — 
			 Thames Valley 292 35 257 — 
			 Warwickshire 99 1 96 — 
			 West Mercia 427 5 422 1 
			 West Midlands 1,224 6 1,218 46 
			 West Yorkshire 1,437 27 1,410 42 
			 Wiltshire 110 5 105 3 
			 Dyfed-Powys 146 29 117 1 
			 Gwent 266 — 266 — 
			 North Wales 155 7 146 — 
			 South Wales 206 12 194 1 
			 England and Wales 21,480 891 20,589 252 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July, and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services in the Ministry of Justice

Crime Prevention: Young People

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department allocated to Positive Futures in each year since 2008-09; and how much funding she has allocated to that programme in each year for the comprehensive spending review period.

James Brokenshire: Total Home Office allocations for the Positive Futures programme is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2008-09 5,988,469 
			 2009-10 5,999,000 
			 2010-11 5,999,000 
			 2011-12 5,707,000 
		
	
	These figures include funding for the management and monitoring and analysis services. Funding for frontline projects of £5.03 million has remained flat since 2008-09. The total budget allocation for 2012-13 has yet to be determined although the intention to provide £5 million funding for frontline projects has been announced.

Crimes of Violence

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of incidents of violence against the person resulted in (a) no injuries, (b) a minor bruise or black eye, (c) severe bruising, (d) scratches, (e) cuts, (f) broken bones, (g) a broken nose, (h) broken or lost teeth, (i) concussion and (j) facial or head injuries in each police force area in England and Wales in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of incidents of violence against the person involved (a) a knife, (b) a hitting implement, (c) a glass or bottle, (d) a stabbing implement, (e) a firearm, (f) a stone or stones, (g) a syringe and (h) another implement in each police force area in England and Wales in each year since 2008;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of offenders involved in violent incidents were recorded as having been under the influence of (a) drugs and (b) drink in each police force area in each year since 1997.

James Brokenshire: There are two main sources of official statistics on crime in England and Wales; the British Crime Survey (BCS) and police recorded crime. The information requested is not available by police force area from the BCS; and police recorded crime data, which are available at police force area level, do not generally provide the level of detailed information requested.
	Estimates for England and Wales of the number and/or proportion of violent incidents from the BCS since 1997 for (a) injury sustained, (b)weapon used and (c) where the victim believed the offender(s) to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs appear in the annual statistical bulletin ‘Crime in England and Wales 2009/10’ (Tables 3.02, 3.09 and 3.20), a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library.
	Figures for the number of offences recorded by the police involving firearms (excluding air weapons) by police force area appear in the publication “Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2009/10” (Table 2.11), a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. The Home Office has collected data on selected offences involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument via a special additional data collection since April 2007. The data for actual bodily harm (ABH) and Grievous bodily harm (GBH) offences in England and Wales involving a knife or a sharp instrument for 2008-09 and 2009-10 appear in “Crime in England and Wales 2009/10” (Tables 7.13 and 7.14).
	The additional information requested is not available by police force area from offences recorded by the police.
	Figures from the police recorded crime series for England and Wales since 1997 for all violent offences (including violence against the person), appear in the annual statistical bulletin ‘Crime in England and Wales 2009/10’ (Table 2.04).

Crimes of Violence

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes of violence against the person were recorded in Bury St Edmunds constituency in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office collects data on the number of violence against the person offences recorded by police forces in England and Wales but these data cannot be broken down to parliamentary constituency level. Data for each local authority area in Suffolk are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Table A: Number of police recorded offences of violence against the person in Suffolk by local authority area, 2005-06 to 2009-10 
			 Local Authority 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 
			 Babergh 725 724 633 751 730 
			 Forest Heath 798 1,072 1,133 1,053 933 
			 Ipswich 2,878 2,940 2,771 2,831 3,445 
			 Mid Suffolk 599 608 607 616 640 
			 St. Edmundsbury 1,454 1,509 1,438 1,333 1,444 
			 Suffolk Coastal 1,265 1,054 1,052 972 1,116 
			 Waveney 2,298 2,283 1,779 1,778 1,809 
			 Total 10,017 10,190 9,413 9,434 10,117

Departmental Sick Leave

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days sick leave were taken on average by staff in (a) her Department and (b) the Criminal Records Bureau in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: Figures given are as at 31 December for each year and Table 1 shows data for:
	(a) the Home Department (including Headquarters, United Kingdom Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service, and Criminal Records Bureau); and
	(b) Criminal Records Bureau.
	Prior to June 2008 figures were reported by Cabinet Office using a different methodology of calculation which means that the figures for 2007 are not directly comparable with those for 2008 onwards. An overall departmental figure for 2006 is not available and to produce it retrospectively would incur a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Table 1: Average working days lost to sickness absence in the Home Department and Criminal Records Bureau 2007-10 
			  Average working days lost (days) 
			  Home Department Criminal Records Bureau 
			 2007(1) 11.30 13.80 
			 2008 9.91 10.17 
			 2009 8.98 10.48 
		
	
	
		
			 2010 7.81 11.77 
			 Standard:  (1) Cabinet Office calculation. A change in the method of calculation between 2007 and 2008 means that data for 2007 are not directly comparable with the rest of the time series shown. Extract date: 31 December for each year shown. Source: 2008-10—Data View: the Department’s single source of monthly HR data, which was introduced from June 2008. 2007—departmental records systems.

Departmental Internet

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what websites her Department operates.

Damian Green: The Department operates the website
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk
	which incorporates the websites for the following NDPB’s and public bodies:
	Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD)
	Animal Procedures Committee (APC)
	Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)
	Forensic Science Regulator (FSS)
	Identity and Passport Service (IPS)
	Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA)
	Security Industry Authority (SIA)
	Technical Advisory Board (TAB)
	UK Border Agency (UKBA)
	National Refugee Integration Forum (NRIF)
	The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner’s website www.oisc.gov.uk by the end of June 2011.
	The Government Equalities Office and the National Fraud Authority have recently become part of the Home Office. The content from these websites will be migrated into the Home Office website or Direct.gov.uk:
	www.equalities.gov.uk
	National Fraud Authority
	www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk/nfa and www.actionfraud.org.uk
	In addition, a number of websites are operated independently by non-departmental public bodies of the Home Office.

Departmental Manpower

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff of her Department did not achieve an acceptable assessment grade in an annual report in the most recent reporting year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: 204 staff in the Department (including its executive agencies) did not achieve an acceptable assessment grade in an annual report in the 2009-10 reporting year (the latest year for which figures are available).

Departmental Surveys

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff surveys her Department has undertaken in the last 12 months; and at what cost to the public purse.

Damian Green: The Home Office participated in one people survey commissioned by the Cabinet Office in the last 12 months. We contributed £58,000 towards the cost of this.

Departmental Telecommunications

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much (a) her Department and (b) its agencies spent on telecommunications in each year since 1997.

Damian Green: Expenditure for 2004-05 to 2010-11 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Telecommunication expenditure from 2004-05 to 2010-11 
			 £000 
			  2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Core HO 10,717 14,422 12,818 14,173 15,803 2,904 2,476 
			 UKBA — — — — — 12,370 13,763 
			 IPS 1,042 1,343 3,391 2,337 2,341 2,656 1,558 
			 CRB 101 77 18 12 9 10 25 
			 Total 11,860 15,688 16,227 16,522 18,153 17,940 17,822 
			 1. On 1 April 2008 IPS took over responsibility for the GRO. 2. The 2010-11 figures are unaudited. 
		
	
	Records prior to 2004 were held on another, now obsolete financial system. Retrieval will result in disproportionate cost to the Home Office.
	The UK Border Agency became an agency of the Home Office in 2009, therefore shown separately from the core Home Office figure for 2009-10 financial year.
	The 2010-11 figures are unaudited and may be subject to change.

Departmental Work Experience

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students from (a) the UK and (b) Bassetlaw constituency have been offered internships in her Department since 8 May 2010.

Damian Green: The Home Office and its agencies has offered internships to 20 people since 8 May 2010, 19 as part of the Fast Stream Summer Placements and one Windsor Fellowship. These interns will take up their placements between June and August 2011. These internships relate to the Graduate Fast Stream and are exempt from the recruitment freeze.
	None of these is from the Bassetlaw constituency.

Detention Centres: Children

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will consult children’s and refugee charities on appointments to the Family Returns Panel.

Damian Green: Members of the independent Family Returns Panel will be appointed by means of an open recruitment process in the summer. There are no plans to consult with children’s and refugee charities on the appointment of individual members but the selection criteria will take account of discussions held with a range of interested parties over recent months. In the meantime the current members of the Panel have joined it on an interim basis to get it up and running quickly.

Detention Centres: Families

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children remained in one parent's care while the other parent was detained for immigration purposes (a) in the most recent period and (b) in the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The information requested is not recorded centrally by the UK Border Agency and could be obtained only through examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost. However, in response to the Family Removals: Thematic Inspection report by the Independent Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency, the UK Border Agency has committed to improving the management information held on families. The UK Border Agency takes its responsibilities for safeguarding children seriously and where possible ensures that families remain together. Typically, separations would take place only in cases where a member of the family is also a former foreign national prisoner and a decision has been made to maintain their detention pending deportation. Under the new arrangements for managing family returns, families without any criminal history would only be separated in exceptional circumstances and after advice had been sought from the independent Family Returns Panel.

Discrimination

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many claims for discrimination in respect of (a) sex, (b) race and (c) sexual orientation were brought against the Criminal Records Bureau by its staff in each of the last five years; and how many such claims were settled (i) in court and (ii) out of court in each case.

Lynne Featherstone: The Criminal Records Bureau has not had any claims of discrimination brought against it by staff employed within the Agency within the last five years.

Domestic Violence

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, HC 908, whether the prohibition on making an application under the domestic violence rule unless one has no unspent convictions applies to a person who has received (a) an absolute discharge and (b) a caution with conditions until such time as the conditions end; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: As a result of the changes to the Immigration Rules introduced on 6 April 2011, individuals applying for indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK must be free of unspent convictions in order to make a successful application. Settlement is a privilege to be awarded only to those who abide by the laws of this country.
	An absolute discharge has a rehabilitation period of six months. A conditional caution has a rehabilitation period of three months. If an individual applied for indefinite leave under the domestic violence rule before such a conviction had become spent their application would not be successful. In cases where there is a need to protect a victim of domestic violence, there would be no question of requiring them to leave the UK or remain in an abusive relationship because of a minor conviction and the UK Border Agency will continue to look at cases sympathetically outside the Immigration Rules where appropriate.

Driving Offences

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued in respect of vehicles operated by her Department and its agencies in the last five years; and what the total cost was.

Lynne Featherstone: For the Home Office and the UK Border Agency (UKBA) the cost and number of fixed penalty notices can not be identified without incurring disproportionate cost, as the Home Office and UKBA accounting system does not separately identify the costs incurred by the payment of fixed penalty notices.
	The Identity and Passport Service incurred seven fixed penalty notices in the last five years at a total cost of £400.
	The Criminal Records Bureau have not owned or operated any vehicles in the last five years and have therefore not incurred any such costs.

Driving Offences

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were prosecuted for driving cars while uninsured in each police authority area in the East of England in each year since 2008.

Crispin Blunt: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts in the East of England region for driving without insurance, by police force area, for the year 2006-09 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
	Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication on 26 May 2011.
	
		
			 Number of persons proceeded against at the magistrates court for driving without insurance, in the East of England region by police force area, 2006-09  (1, 2) 
			   Proceeded against 
			 Statute Offence description 2006 2007 2008 2009 
			 Road Traffic Act 1988 S.143(2) Using motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks     
			       
			 Police force area within East of England      
			 Bedfordshire  2,702 2,436 2,572 2,683 
			 Cambridgeshire  2,826 1,972 1,435 1,516 
			 Essex  4,511 4,865 4,176 4,372 
			 Hertfordshire  6,023 4,523 3,491 3,056 
			 Norfolk  2,690 2,509 2,440 1,540 
			 Suffolk  2,250 1,768 1,645 1,868 
			 Total  21,002 18,073 15,759 15,035 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice.

Departmental Official Cars

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on car hire other than from the Government Car Service in each year since 1997; and whether her Department required particular specifications in respect of each car hired.

Damian Green: The Home Office and the UK Border Agency accounting system does not separately identify car hire from car hire which includes use of the Government Car Service.
	The detail requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr Field) of 7 March 2011, Official Report, columns 872-3W, on illegal immigrants: employment, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the penalties levied are collected.

Damian Green: An employer has 28 days to pay an illegal working civil penalty or to submit an objection or appeal. If a penalty remains unpaid after the objection and/or appeal process the UK Border Agency refer the case for internal debt recovery action. If the penalty remains unpaid after the internal process the Agency works with a specialist third party debt recovery partner to enforce outstanding penalties. Recovery action may include but is not restricted to Court enforcement proceedings.

Imitation Firearms

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many replica firearms were confiscated in each police force area in each of the last 10 years.

James Brokenshire: Information on confiscated firearms is not available centrally.

Knives: Crime

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many knives have been recovered in knife amnesty initiatives in each police force area in each of the last 10 years.

James Brokenshire: Data on local police force area knife amnesty initiatives are not held by the Home Office. The last national knife amnesty was held in England and Wales between 24 May and 30 June 2006. A knife amnesty was held in Scotland from 25 May 2006 for one month and Northern Ireland from 25 May 2006 for three weeks.
	According to figures supplied by the police, this national amnesty resulted in over 89,000 items being handed in.

Logos

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much (a) her Department and (b) its agencies have spent on the (i) design and production of new logos and (ii) employment of external (A) public relations and (B) graphic design agencies for each project of logo design or redesign in each year since 2000. [Official Report, 12 May 2011, Vol. 527, c. 7MC.]

Damian Green: The following table summarises the spend of the Home Office and its agencies (Identity and Passport Service (IPS), Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and UK Border Agency) on logo design and employment of public relations and graphic design agencies, broken down by project.
	It is not possible to separate out design costs from design agency costs, and therefore costs provided above cover parts (a) and (b).
	The Home Office has spent nothing on design or production of new logos or on the employment of external public relations agencies for any project of logo design or redesign since 2008-09.
	The UK Border Agency and IPS have spent nothing on design or production of new logos or on the employment of external public relations agencies for any project of logo design or redesign since 2007-08.
	CRB have spent nothing on design or production of new logos or on the employment of external public relations agencies for any project of logo design or redesign since 2002-03.
	
		
			  Owner Project Description Cost (£) 
			 2000-01 HO New Home Office corporate ID Design, research, project management and style guidelines 155,000 
			 2001-02 CRB Criminal Records Bureau Design and production of new logos and external Public Relations 120,000 
			  HO Fire Service Branding Design 2,914 
			  HO Positive Futures Branding Design 4,000 
			  HO Drugs Prevention Advisory Service Rebrand Design 10.000 
			 Total 2001-02    291,914 
			      
			 2002-03 CRB Criminal Records Bureau Design and production of new logos and external Public Relations 200,000 
			 2003-04 HO Active Communities Unit Logo development and corporate ID 45,200 
			  HO Immigration and Nationality Directorate IRIS Recognition Branding Design and production 35,000 
			 Total 2003-04    80,200 
			      
			 2004-05 HO Home Office Modification and update of brand guidelines 5,500 
			  HO National Offender Management Service Identity creation, production of artwork and branding guidelines 46,000 
			  HO Her Majesty's Prison Service Modification of logo and production of brand guidelines 10,500 
			  HO National Probation Service Modification of logo and production of brand guidelines 10,230 
			  HO Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Logo update and literature production update 4,999 
			  HO Tackling Drugs, Changing Lives programme Design and production of new logo 21,890 
			  HO Senior Careers Advisory Service Design and production of new materials 4,260 
			  HO Immigration and Nationality Directorate Research and registration of IRIS logo 4,395 
			  HO CENTREX Police Training Branding Design and production 15,280 
			 Total 2004-05    123,054 
			      
			 2005-06 HO Senior Careers Advisory Service Final production costs relating to 04-05 work 734 
			  HO The Information Commissioner Logo development 600 
			  HO Drugs Intervention Programme Production to refresh programme materials in line with core Tackling Drugs, Changing Lives brand 10,280 
			  HO Respect Design, research, project management and style guidelines 56,733 
			  HO CENTREX Police Training Branding Final production 3,760 
			  HO Criminal Justice IT Programme Design and production of materials to support programme 10,080 
			 Total 2005-06    82,187 
			      
			 2006-07 IPS Identify and Passport Service Brand clinics and brand photography 37,825 
			 2007-08 IPS Identify and Passport Service Brand workshops and brand photography 17,304 
			  BIA Immigration and Nationality Directorate rebrand as Border and Immigration Agency Identity creation, production of artwork and branding guidelines 79,920 
			  UKBA Border and Immigration Agency rebrand as UK Border Agency Logo and template design and brand guidelines 30,200 
			  HO Home Office brand refresh Design 2,540 
			 Total 2007-08    129,964 
			      
			 2008-09 HO Knives campaign Design and publication of stakeholder comms materials 50,000

Marriage of Convenience

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suspected sham marriages were referred to the UK Border Agency by marriage registrars and clergy in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many such referrals resulted in prosecutions for offences under immigration legislation.

Damian Green: S24 and s24A of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 places a legal duty on civil registrars to report any reasonable suspicions they may have that a marriage or civil partnership is or may be a sham marriage, these are known as s24 reports. The Anglican Church in England and Wales operates its own system of preliminaries and its clergy are not under the same legal obligation to report suspicions as civil registrars, although they are strongly encouraged to do so voluntarily, the Agency does not hold data on the number of reports that come from members of the Anglican clergy.
	The Agency received 934 s24 reports from civil registrars during 2010, however as s24 reports represent a suspicion rather than a definite finding and do not include the Anglican church in England and Wales this figure can be not be seen as an absolute representation of the number of sham marriages in the UK.
	Since January 2010 two periods of targeted enforcement actions have been conducted against those involved in sham marriages which resulted in 155 arrests. As entering in a sham marriage, in itself, is not a crime it is not possible to obtain definitive information on how many people have been prosecuted for involvement in sham marriages

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the UK Border Agency plans to respond to the letter of 4 April 2011 from the hon. Member for Walsall North about a constituent, reference ADUR/100311/031061/1.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency wrote to the hon. Member on 27 April 2011.

Missing Children

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports police forces received of children (a) of each age and (b) of each sex missing from home in each of the last three years.

James Brokenshire: Data held by the National Missing Persons Bureau does not contain the level of detail sought. Police forces provide quarterly and annual data returns (numbers of missing person reports received) to the Bureau but only a number of these returns provide breakdowns by age and gender.
	This information is therefore not collated centrally.

Offensive Weapons

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in each police force area were convicted for possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition in England and Wales in each year since 2007.

Crispin Blunt: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of persons found guilty at all courts for offences relating to possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition, by police force area, England and Wales, 2007-09, can be viewed in the table.
	Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication on 26 May 2011.
	
		
			 Number of persons found guilty at all courts for offences relating to possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition  (1)  , by police force area, England and Wales, 2007  -  09  (2, 3) 
			 Police force area 2007 2008  (4) 2009 
			 Avon and Somerset 23 30 17 
			 Bedfordshire 6 12 18 
			 Cambridgeshire 9 6 13 
			 Cheshire 11 12 20 
		
	
	
		
			 City of London 1 1 4 
			 Cleveland 9 14 17 
			 Cumbria 13 10 7 
			 Derbyshire 21 13 18 
			 Devon and Cornwall 15 19 25 
			 Dorset 12 12 11 
			 Durham 15 14 8 
			 Essex 29 28 27 
			 Gloucestershire 4 8 8 
			 Greater Manchester 83 90 93 
			 Hampshire 24 22 23 
			 Hertfordshire 24 27 17 
			 Humberside 10 10 12 
			 Kent 20 40 38 
			 Lancashire 22 25 31 
			 Leicestershire 22 16 15 
			 Lincolnshire 4 8 13 
			 Merseyside 53 79 68 
			 Metropolitan police 386 449 400 
			 Norfolk 10 5 7 
			 North Yorkshire 8 5 9 
			 Northamptonshire 4 5 11 
			 Northumbria 31 31 37 
			 Nottinghamshire 39 39 28 
			 South Yorkshire 25 24 23 
			 Staffordshire 26 14 23 
			 Suffolk 7 4 7 
			 Surrey 12 8 6 
			 Sussex 22 24 23 
			 Thames Valley 34 41 25 
			 Warwickshire 7 7 5 
			 West Mercia 10 13 12 
			 West Midlands 91 99 123 
			 West Yorkshire 30 42 41 
			 Wiltshire 1 6 7 
			 Dyfed-Powys 2 1 3 
			 Gwent 7 10 6 
			 North Wales 12 14 8 
			 South Wales 23 21 34 
			 Total England and Wales 1,217 1,358 1,343 
			 (1) Includes the following statutes and corresponding offence descriptions: Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 5(1) (Group I) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 S.288 Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition. Firearms Act 1968 Sec 5(1)(b) (Group I) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 Sec.288 Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons designed for discharge of noxious liquid etc. Firearms Act 1968 Sec 5(1A)(a) (Group I) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 Sec.288 Possessing or distributing firearm disguised as other object Firearms Act 1968 Sec 5(1A) (b),(c),(d)(e),(f) or (g) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 Sec.288 Possessing or distributing other prohibited weapons (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons For whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty Is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Police: Manpower

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in the number of special constables serving in each police force area in England and Wales has been since March 2010.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 26 April 2011
	Data on special constable strength by police force area as at 30 September and 31 March 2010 with percentage changes over the six months period are given in the table.
	Some forces’ figures may be affected by seasonality as it is not a percentage change over a 12-month period. Figures for March 2011 will be available on 21 July 2011.
	
		
			 Special constable strength by English Government office regions and Wales (headcount)  (1) 
			  Special constables 
			  Strength as at  : Change in 6 months 
			  March 2010 September 2010 March 2010 September 2010 
			 English Government Office Regions and Wales Number Number Number Percentage 
			 North East 547 561 14 2.6 
			 Cleveland 238 242 4 1.7 
			 Durham 131 132 1 0.8 
			 Northumbria 178 187 9 5.1 
			      
			 North West 1,731 1,878 147 8.5 
			 Cheshire 300 360 60 20.0 
			 Cumbria 115 139 24 20.9 
			 Greater Manchester 400 451 51 12.8 
			 Lancashire 470 462 -8 -1.7 
			 Merseyside 446 466 20 4.5 
			      
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1,173 1,193 20 1.7 
			 Humberside 341 340 -1 -0.3 
			 North Yorkshire 184 187 3 1.6 
			 South Yorkshire 227 218 -9 -4.0 
			 West Yorkshire 421 448 27 6.4 
			      
			 East Midlands 1,183 1,188 5 0.4 
			 Derbyshire 302 297 -5 -1.7 
			 Leicestershire 240 219 -21 -8.8 
			 Lincolnshire 163 163 0 0.0 
			 Northamptonshire 180 228 48 26.7 
			 Nottinghamshire 298 281 -17 -5.7 
			      
			 West Midlands 1,370 1,468 98 7.2 
			 Staffordshire 334 395 61 18.3 
			 Warwickshire 212 205 -7 -3.3 
			 West Mercia 233 256 23 9.9 
			 West Midlands 591 612 21 3.6 
			      
			 Eastern 1,997 2,092 95 4.8 
			 Bedfordshire 210 225 15 7.1 
			 Cambridgeshire 167 189 22 13.2 
			 Essex 682 679 -3 -0.4 
		
	
	
		
			 Hertfordshire 344 393 49 14.2 
			 Norfolk 266 273 7 2.6 
			 Suffolk 328 333 5 1.5 
			      
			 London 3,256 4,023 767 23.6 
			 London, City of 79 79 0 0.0 
			 Metropolitan Police 3,177 3,944 767 24.1 
			      
			 South East 1,734 1,831 97 5.6 
			 Hampshire 449 450 1 0.2 
			 Kent 310 284 -26 -8.4 
			 Surrey 327 347 20 6.1 
			 Sussex 240 277 37 15.4 
			 Thames Valley 408 473 65 15.9 
			      
			 South West 1,758 1,793 35 2.0 
			 Avon & Somerset 449 461 12 2.7 
			 Devon & Cornwall 592 632 40 6.8 
			 Dorset 300 310 10 3.3 
			 Gloucestershire 167 162 -5 -3.0 
			 Wiltshire 250 228 -22 -8.8 
			      
			 Wales 756 745 -11 -1.5 
			 Dyfed-Powys 171 170 -1 -0.6 
			 Gwent 144 144 0 0.0 
			 North Wales 193 217 24 12.4 
			 South Wales 248 214 -34 -13.7 
			      
			 Total of all 43 forces 15,505 16,772 1,267 8.2 
			 British Transport Police 176 191 15 8.5 
			 Total Special constable Strength 15,681 16,963 1,282 8.2 
			 Total Special constable Strength (excluding BTP) 15,505 16,772 1,267 8.2 
			 (1) Police constable figures are given as headcount measure.

Police: Manpower

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police constables Northumbria police employed in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: Available data relate to police constable strength for Northumbria, as at 31 March 2008, 2009 and 2010 and are given in the table.
	
		
			 Northumbria police constable strength  (1 )  as at 31 March 2008, 2009 and 2010 
			  Number of police constables 
			 2008 3,092 
			 2009 3,216 
			 2010 3,314 
			 (1 )These are full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

Police: Redundancy Pay

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many police authorities reported at least one special severance payment in the last 12 months for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many special severance payments were reported by Cambridgeshire Constabulary in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 26 April 2011
	The information requested is not held centrally. There is no requirement for police authorities to seek approval from or report to Government before making special severance payments.

Repatriation: Offenders

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any people detained under immigration rules offered to pay for their return flights to their country of origin in the last year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not hold information on people detained under immigration powers that offer to pay for their return flights to their countries of origin.

Sexual Offences

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals (a) convicted of a sex offence, (b) imprisoned for more than 12 months for violence and (c) assessed as being high risk there are on the Violent and Sex Offenders Register; and how many times the database has been accessed in each year since 1997.

Crispin Blunt: I have been asked to reply.
	As at 31 March 2011 there were (a) 50,309 individuals convicted of a registered sexual offence, (b) 6,704 imprisoned for 12 months and over for violence and non-registerable sexual offences and (c) 17,734 assessed as being High or Very High Risk that are recorded on ViSOR in England and Wales.
	ViSOR was introduced nationally only in 2005. It is routinely used by a large number of staff on a daily basis for the purposes of case management, risk assessment, information and intelligence sharing, and risk management planning. Data regarding the recorded levels of access are not collected.

Third Sector: Home Office

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2011, Official Report, column 1218W, on third sector, what information her Department holds on the distribution of grants paid to charities that her Department monitors.

Damian Green: The information held by the Department includes the name of the body receiving the grant, the purpose of the grant, the amount of the grant and the period of time for which the grant is paid. Additionally the Department monitors the achievement of outcomes for which the grant was provided. This is standard information monitored against all grants paid by the Department irrespective of type of recipient.
	The above information could not be provided for those charities receiving grant from the Department without incurring disproportionate cost, as the Department's accounting system recognises charities within a greater grouping of over 300 not-for-profit organisations.
	As well as charities (organisations defined by and registered with the Charity Commission) this group of organisations includes benevolent or philanthropic institutions and not-for-profit social enterprises.

Vetting: Fees and Charges

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the fee charged by the Criminal Records Bureau for a Criminal Records Bureau check has been increased; and what the percentage increase in fees has been.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 28 April 2011
	The increase in the cost of an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check is directly linked to the Government's decision to scale back the Vetting and Barring scheme (VBS) to more common sense levels, which has resulted in the cancellation of the requirement to register with the VBS. This fee increase will directly fund the administration costs of the retained elements of the Scheme, such as the operation of the barring function operated by the Independent Safeguarding Authority.
	The fee was increased by £8, representing an increase of approximately 22% but is significantly lower than the intended VBS registration fee of £64.

Vetting: Young People

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons aged under 18 years have had Criminal Records Bureau checks in each year since 2008-09.

Lynne Featherstone: The number of certificates issued by the Criminal Records Bureau to an applicant aged under-18 years of age at the date of application in each financial year since 2008-09 can be found in the following table. Please note that the figures shown represent the number of certificates issued and not the number of applicants as an individual may have been issued with more than one certificate.
	
		
			 Financial year Total certificate volumes Certificate volumes issued to those aged under-18 
			 2008-09 3,853,686 130,708 
			 2009-10 4,299,906 140,034 
			 2010-11 4,311,820 149,860

Written Questions

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parliamentary questions for written answer her Department took longer than 10 days to answer in each of the last three years.

Damian Green: On 11 March 2011, the Procedure Committee published a memorandum submitted by the Leader of the House of Commons, my right hon. Friend the Member for North West Hampshire (Sir George Young), giving the statistics for all written parliamentary questions in the 2009-10 session. This memorandum stated that the Home Office took longer than 10 days to answer 345 out of 1,600 (21.6%) ordinary written questions during that session. 55 out of 542 questions (10.1%) for answer on a named day took longer than 10 days to answer.
	In the current session to end-March 2011, the Home Office (including the Government Equalities Office) has taken longer than 10 days to answer 351 out of 2,415 (14.5%) ordinary written questions and 146 out of 875 (16.7%) named day questions.
	Detailed information of this type is not available for questions asked in earlier sessions.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Buildings

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the (a) name and (b) address is of each building owned by his Department; and what the estimated monetary value is of each such building.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not own any buildings.

Departmental Work Experience

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice his Department provides to those wishing to (a) work as an intern, (b) undertake a work experience placement and (c) work as a volunteer in his Department.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not issue any general advice to those wishing to work as an intern, undertake a work experience placement, or work as a volunteer in this Department. As a very small Department of only 57 people, the scope for such placements is limited. Any request for a placement is dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Employment Schemes

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the awarding of Scottish contracts to private companies as part of the Work programme.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland has discussed the outcome of the Work programme contracting process with Work and Pensions ministerial colleagues on several occasions in recent weeks.

Employment Schemes

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions before the awarding of Work programme contracts covering Scotland.

David Mundell: Over the past year, the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have had numerous discussions related to the Work programme with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions.

Employment Schemes

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the Scottish voluntary sector to discuss Work programme contracts; and what the outcome was of those discussions.

Michael Moore: I discussed the Work programme with representatives of the Scottish voluntary sector at a meeting with key stakeholders on Thursday 7 April. I invited the Minister of State for Employment, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), to address that meeting and he encouraged Work programme providers, who were also in attendance, to engage effectively with the voluntary sector in Scotland in the delivery of the programme.

WALES

Departmental Work Experience

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice her Department provides to those wishing to (a) work as an intern, (b) undertake a work experience placement and (c) work as a volunteer in her Department.

David Jones: The Wales Office does not issue any general advice to those wishing to work as an intern, undertake a work experience placement, or, work as a volunteer in this department. As a very small Department of only 62 people, the scope for such placements is limited. Any such request is therefore dealt with on a case by case basis.

PRIME MINISTER

Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations Summit

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to attend the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations summit in June 2011.

David Cameron: I am pleased that the Government are hosting the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations summit this June. This is an important moment for the international community to come together to help GAVI meet its ambitious plans to vaccinate 250 million children by 2015. For security reasons, my engagements are announced as and when appropriate.

Nuclear Power: National Policy Statements

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to page 17 of the Coalition Agreement, whether the abstentions on any vote on a national planning statement on nuclear power by Liberal Democrat hon. Members include such hon. Members who are serving as Ministers of the Crown.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to page 17 of the coalition agreement.

Prince William: Marriage

Denis MacShane: To ask the Prime Minister whether his Office was consulted on the issue of invitations to the wedding of HRH Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

David Cameron: I refer the right hon. Member to the press briefing given by official spokesperson on 26 April 2011. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/press-briefings/2011/04/morning-press-briefing-from-26-april-2011-63311

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of his Department's performance against objectives for efficiency savings in respect of affordable housing in 2009-10.

Andrew Stunell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, my right hon. Friend the Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), to my hon. Friend the Member for Southport (John Pugh) on 15 November 2010, Official Report, column 615-16W, which referred to a more specific and innovative approach to efficiency and reform across the public sector. As a result of this Departments were no longer required to report against the previous Government's efficiency targets.
	That notwithstanding, at the comprehensive spending review 2007, the Department was set a target to achieve £887 million value for money savings by 2010-11, made up of £734 million savings in affordable housing, £110 million in Fire and Rescue, and £43 million in administration. Provisional figures indicate that only £128 million of affordable housing savings were actually delivered.

Audit Commission

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government at which restaurants in London meals have been paid for using public funds by the Audit Commission in the last 18 months.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	For the interests of clarity, the meal with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury was under the last Administration.
	Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 3 May 2010
	Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me to reply.
	Audit Commission staff regularly stay overnight in London while attending meetings at the Commission's Millbank office, or meeting with clients, including other inspectorates, government departments and representative bodies, in the London area. The cost of evening meals are incorporated into .the hotel accommodation invoices and we are unable to extract this information without incurring disproportionate costs. We are able to identify a list of payments made to London restaurants where groups of staff have eaten outside of the hotel or where hospitality has been provided to other inspectorates and government departments and the Government Procurement Card has been used.
	
		
			 Restaurant Occasion Total (£) 
			 Quirinale Hospitality—HM Chief Inspector Ofsted 87.69 
			 Casa Madeira Staff evening meal 16.95 
			 Garfunkels Staff evening meal 20.00 
			 Pizza Express Staff evening meal 22.00 
			 Bella Italia Staff evening meal 23.55 
			 Pizza Express Staff evening meal 29.00 
			 Millbank Spice Staff group evening meal 62.70 
			 Pizza Express Staff group evening meal 44.99 
			 Pizza Express Staff group evening meal 42.01 
			 Millbank Spice Staff group evening meal 30.91 
			 Pizza Express Staff group evening meal 49.20 
			 Bentleys Seafood Restaurant Board Dinner 770.21 
			 Sofitel St James Hospitality—Chief Secretary to the Treasury 96.75

Brighton and Hove: Funding

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many ring-fenced grants provided by his Department were available for Brighton and Hove city council to claim in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11; how much was available in such grants; how many such grants were made; and how much was awarded in such grants;
	(2)  how many ring-fenced grants provided by his Department are available for Brighton and Hove city council to claim in 2011-12; how much is available in such grants; how many such grants have been made; and how much is to be awarded in such grants.

Bob Neill: A summary of the ring-fenced specific revenue and capital grants provided to Brighton and Hove city council by the Department for Communities and Local Government between 2007-08 and 2010-11 is provided in the following table. The amounts allocated were paid in full:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Revenue:     
			 Supporting People 12.659 12.464 — — 
			 New Deal for Communities 4.122 1.147 0.073 — 
			      
			 Capital:     
			 Disabled Facilities Grant 0.521 0.660 0.660 0.660 
			      
			 Revenue and Capital:     
			 Free Swimming — — 0.229 — 
		
	
	From 2011-12 the Government have ended the ring-fencing of grants, except for simplified school grants and a new public health grant from 2013-14. My Department has no ring-fenced grants in 2011-12.
	For the avoidance of doubt, this table only illustrates ring-fenced grants. It does not include specific grants which have continued in a non-ringfenced form, nor grants which have been rolled into formula grant.

Community Development: Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the budget was of his Department and its predecessors for supporting communities in each of the last 10 years; and what estimate he has made of this budget in each of the next five years.

Andrew Stunell: There are a number of different budgets within the Department that either entirely or in part contribute towards supporting communities in one form or another. These include the payments to local government through formula grant, targeted grant programmes paid to the voluntary and community sector, such as community empowerment, and funding provided for regeneration such as the new deal for communities programme. It would not be possible for the Department to identify the proportion of these funds paid out per year, or estimate how much will be paid out in the future directly to support communities without disproportionate cost.

Construction: Standards

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many meetings his Department has had with representatives of TrustMark in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The Department has had infrequent meetings directly with TrustMark representatives over the last five years, and has been present at a large number of meetings where TrustMark representatives have also been present. However information on these is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Fire Services: Pensions

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what arrangements are in place to ensure that the proposed changes to the Firefighters Pension Scheme are sustainable and progressive;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the proposed changes to the Firefighters Pension Scheme on part-time members of staff who are members of the scheme;
	(3)  whether he has carried out an impact assessment on the proposed change to the Firefighters Pension Scheme; and what his estimate is of the change in the opt-out rate resulting from implementation of the changes.

Bob Neill: At the spending review the Government announced changes to the level of employee contribution rates which would lead to total savings of £2.8 billion a year by 2014-15, to be phased in from April 2012. Discussions about how this will be implemented are ongoing with unions in the context of wider ranging pension discussions. The Government will put forward proposals in due course, and will then begin formal consultation on the necessary changes to scheme regulations.
	The Government are committed to protecting low earners and ensuring changes are both sustainable and progressive.
	The Treasury published an estimate of likely opt-out rates at the spending review:
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2010_policycostings.pdf
	This estimate has been scrutinised by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, and will be reviewed when the Government put forward final designs.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of (a) local authorities and (b) registered social landlords who will amend their allocation procedures in 2011-12 in order to enable tenants to downsize to avoid housing benefits reductions for under-occupation of their home.

Grant Shapps: Local authorities and social landlords should already be helping social tenants who wish to move to smaller properties, and many do so. Provisions in the Localism Bill will make it easier for local authorities to give priority to existing tenants wishing to move.
	We have also established an action team based in the Chartered Institute of Housing to support local authorities and housing associations to promote moves by under-occupiers, and this will include ensuring their allocation policies are aligned with this objective.

Housing: Construction

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mechanisms are in place to ensure communication and coordination between communities on house-building strategies.

Greg Clark: Local councils are currently required to consult each other when they are preparing local plans and they are required to demonstrate that their local plans are deliverable. This is an important part of the local plan testing and examination process. Authorities and key partners are required to engage in a timely and effective two way discussion on deliverability as part of this process. Where authorities cannot demonstrate that their plans are deliverable they will not be found sound and cannot be adopted.

Housing: Older People

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the report of the Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation.

Andrew Stunell: The Housing our Ageing Population Panel report was commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department of Health to look at the future of housing for older people. The report was published in December 2009 and sets out a series of case studies from Britain and Europe demonstrating best practice and innovation in housing designed for older people. It also makes a number of recommendations for all partners involved in the provision of housing for older people, including central and local government.
	It is our hope that others involved in the design and supply of housing for older people will take inspiration from the case studies in the report.
	Government continue to work with industry to explore ways in which standards, including the Building Regulations, can be simplified to reduce overlap and contradiction. We will consider the planning issues raised in the report as we progress with the National Planning Policy Framework.

Local Government Services

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future of statutory duties on local authorities concerning disabled children, young people, their families and carers; and if he will take steps to ensure that any changes to such statutory duties are subject to a (a) formal consultation and (b) full impact assessment.

Bob Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Annette Brooke) by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles) on 4 April, Official Report, column 739. The Government are looking to remove unnecessary, old and outdated statutory burdens imposed on local councils from Whitehall. It is not aimed at removing those which protect vital frontline services or the vulnerable. Until now, there has been no comprehensive list of the legal duties placed on councils. To remedy this, the Government agreed with the Local Government Association (the national body representing councils) that we should compile such a list so that everyone is clear what legal obligations local councils have and check whether the duties are still relevant.
	There is no implication that any particular duty on the list is being considered for removal, and there is certainly no intention to remove the duties on councils with respect to support for disabled children and children with special educational needs.
	The review is as much about ensuring vital duties are retained as it is about removing unnecessary burdens. Any changes to statutory duties which come about as a result of the review will be properly considered and consulted on where necessary.

Local Government: Pensions

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account was taken of planned increases in employees' contributions to the Local Government Pension Scheme in the local authority grant settlement for (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: Decisions about the overall level of Government grant to local government are taken in spending reviews.
	The local government settlement in the 2010 spending review was determined in the context of the overall level of affordable public spending, consistent with the Government's aim of tackling the fiscal deficit. It took into account a wide range of factors which will affect local authority budgets over the period.
	The Government announced at the spending review that they accepted the view of the Independent Public Service Pensions-Commission that there is a clear rationale for public servants to make a greater contribution if their pensions are to remain fair to taxpayers and employees, and affordable for the country.
	The cost of the Local Government Pension Scheme to taxpayers has risen from £1.5 billion in 1997-98 to £5.8 billion in 2009 -10. In this context, it is right and fair to take steps to protect local taxpayers from the cost of further increases.

Markets

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to assist the development of open air markets.

Andrew Stunell: There are over 1,000 retail markets in the UK, which bring significant economic, social and environmental benefits. Markets can be an important part of the strong retail mix that town centres need to attract shoppers and provide consumer choice. Markets provide job opportunities and a place for people to meet. They can provide identities for local communities, strengthening tourism and promoting healthy eating and local specialities. Decisions on the management of markets are for local authorities to make.
	Open air markets (but not car boot sales) are covered in the remit of the Working Group on Retail Markets that my Department has responsibility for. The working group includes representatives from Government Departments that have an interest in markets, the markets industry—including local authority, privately run, social enterprise and farmers’ markets—and the Local Government Association markets champion. The industry has recently produced a range of publications on good practice, management models and the role of markets within the local community. Priorities for the working group are to work with the industry and the association to enable markets to continue at a challenging time when local authorities are under pressure, and to encourage new entrepreneurs to become market traders.

Non-Domestic Rates: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many businesses in Milton Keynes were (a) eligible for and (b) received small business rate relief in the last year for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: Milton Keynes council reported on their National non-domestic rates (NNDR1) budget form that 1,048 hereditaments were in receipt of a discount from the small business rate relief scheme as at 31 December 2009, A further 284 hereditaments were only paying the small business rate multiplier without being granted a discount. Information on numbers of businesses eligible for the relief is not held centrally.
	The Government are taking steps through the Localism Bill to help automate the take-up of small business rate relief.

Non-Domestic Rates: St Albans

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many businesses in St Albans constituency were (a) eligible for and (b) received small business rate relief in the last year for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: Information is not collected at constituency level. However St Albans city and district council reported on their national non-domestic rates (NNDR1) budget form that 593 hereditaments were in receipt of a discount from the small business rate relief scheme as at 31 December 2009. A further 156 hereditaments were paying only the small business rate multiplier without being granted a discount. Information on numbers of businesses eligible for the relief is not held centrally.
	The Government are taking steps through the Localism Bill to help automate the take-up of small business rate relief.

Northern Rock: Newcastle

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has received any representations on (a) the purchase by Newcastle City Council of the Northern Rock Tower and (b) the effect of that purchase on the market for office space in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Greg Clark: The Department for Communities and Local Government has received no representations on this purchase.

Private Rented Housing: Regulation

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the exemption from new regulations for small businesses announced in the 2011 Budget will apply to private sector landlords.

Andrew Stunell: Where a private landlord falls within the definition of a micro business—that is, a business employing less than 10 people—our current expectation is that the exemption from new regulations will apply. However, as I outlined in my answer of 28 March 2011, Official Report, column 8W, the Government do not have plans to introduce greater regulation into the sector as a whole.

Regional Planning and Development

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on local development frameworks following the abolition of regional spatial strategies;
	(2)  what (a) transitional arrangements and (b) guidance will be available to local authorities following the abolition of regional spatial strategies;
	(3)  what steps he has taken to provide (a) transitional arrangements and (b) guidance on the development of local development frameworks following the abolition of regional spatial strategies.

Greg Clark: The coalition agreement clearly set out the Government’s intention to abolish regional strategies and return democratic decision making powers on housing and planning to local councils.
	The chief planner has written to all local authorities making clear that pending abolition of regional strategies all planning decisions must be made in accordance with the ‘development plan’, including regional strategies, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The Government’s intention to abolish regional strategies is a material consideration.
	Local planning authorities should press ahead without delay in preparing up-to-date development plans and should use that opportunity to be proactive in driving and supporting the growth the country needs.

Regional Planning and Development

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department is providing to local authorities on consideration of renewable energy proposals following the abolition of regional spatial strategies.

Greg Clark: Policy for planning and renewable energy is set out in Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 22.

Regional Planning and Development

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that all areas formerly covered by regional spatial strategies are included in local development frameworks;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the extent of areas formerly covered by regional spatial strategies which are not covered by proposals for local development frameworks.

Greg Clark: Local planning authorities should continue to develop local development framework core strategies and other development plan documents, reflecting local people's aspirations and decisions on important issues such as climate change, housing and economic development, having regard to national policy.
	National policy is set out in the existing Planning Policy Statements, Planning Policy Guidance, Minerals Policy Statements and Minerals Policy Guidance and other documents including circulars.
	It is for local planning authorities to decide if they want to amend their plans, or produce additional plans, to address any issues in regional strategies not already covered in their plans.

Vacant Land: Property Development

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to paragraph 2.21 of The Plan for Growth, March 2011, what assessment he has made of the effect of the removal of targets for levels of development on previously developed land on future levels of development on greenfield sites.

Bob Neill: The Government will, through the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), localise choice about the use of previously developed land by removing the national target for the amount of housing development that should take place on previously developed land, and at the same time provide for local communities to be able to identify and protect green space of importance.
	We will consult on the draft National Planning Policy Framework in the summer. A draft impact assessment will be published for consultation alongside the National Planning Policy Framework.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Servants: Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what meetings he has had with employee representatives from My Civil Service Pension prior to his announcement of 12 April 2011.

Francis Maude: I have met with PCS Trade Union representatives to talk about My Civil Service Pension on 31 March 2011. My officials (including Phil Bartlett, chief executive of MyCSP), have held regular meetings with the Trade Unions, on:
	23 September 2010
	14 December 2010
	17 January 2011
	9 March 2011
	24 March 2011
	7 April 2011
	19 April 2011

Civil Servants: Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he plans to provide further information on proposed changes to the ownership structure of My Civil Service Pension.

Francis Maude: On 12 April I announced that we are working to support the management and employees of My Civil Service Pension to create a mutual joint venture. Since then considerable work has been taken forward and following an extensive programme of engagement with employees over the next few months, I will provide further information on the ownership structure of My Civil Service Pension.

Departmental Manpower

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 1040W, on departmental personnel, how many staff in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies have no post; and how many such staff have been classified as such for at least (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) 12 months.

Francis Maude: As at 31 March 2011, Cabinet Office and its non-departmental public bodies had 10 staff who were without permanent roles:
	Five have been classified as such for between three and six months; and
	Five have been classified as such for between six and 12 months.
	All staff without permanent roles are assigned to critical projects or interim work while a suitable permanent role is identified.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent estimate is of the cost to the public purse of military action in Afghanistan since 2001.

Liam Fox: holding answer 28 April 2011
	The annual audited figures for the costs of operations in Afghanistan since financial year 2001-02 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Operations in Afghanistan 
			 £ million 
			  2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 Total spend to date 
			 Resource 187 236 36 58 148 560 1,071 1,655 2,330 6,281 
			 Capital costs 34 75 10 9 51 178 433 968 1,491 3,249 
			 Total 221 311 46 67 199 738 1,504 2,623 3,821 9,530 
		
	
	The estimated costs of operations in Afghanistan for financial year 2010-11 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Operations in Afghanistan 
			  2010-11 Estimate (£ million) 
			 Resource 3,101 
			 Capital costs 1,390 
			 Annually managed expenditure 6 
			 Total estimated costs 4,497

Armed Forces: Health Services

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to provide assistance for armed forces personnel affected by (a) post traumatic stress and (b) physical trauma.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) provides a comprehensive programme of medical support for service personnel, and the strategic defence and security review included a commitment to maintain and further develop the medical support provided by the Defence Medical Services and the NHS.
	We train armed forces personnel and their commanders about the need to recognise mental health disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and how to seek help if necessary. In Afghanistan, we deploy uniformed mental health nurses to provide assessment and treatment, and have successfully introduced an informal peer-led programme known as TRiM (Trauma Risk Management). In the UK, we provide community-based mental health care, both at local unit level and through our 15 military Departments of Community Mental Health across the UK (plus centres overseas), which provide out-patient treatment. In-patient care, when necessary, is provided in specialised psychiatric units under contract with the NHS. We are working with the Department of Health to enhance existing healthcare services by implementing recommendations made by my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) in his “Fighting Fit” report into the health of our armed forces.
	For operational trauma casualties in Afghanistan, those whose injuries are too serious to be treated at the Camp Bastion Field Hospital are aeromedically evacuated back to the UK, where they will usually be admitted to the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Edgbaston, Birmingham. This brand-new NHS hospital is at the leading edge in the medical care of serious polytrauma, as commonly sustained by our operational casualties. We can be sure that by admitting them to that hospital they will have immediate access to some of the best clinical specialists and medical equipment available in the UK today.
	Post-hospital rehabilitation and ongoing treatment is also available through a range of specialist MOD facilities, including 15 Regional Rehabilitation Units around the UK and overseas, which offer a range of rehabilitation and physiotherapy to those requiring it. For those needing the most specialist treatment, such as amputees, the dedicated Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court in Surrey provides a first-rate facility on an in-patient basis to service personnel from all parts of the UK.

Armed Forces: Officers

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the ratio of officers to enlisted service personnel was in (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force in (i) 1981, (ii) 1985, (iii) 1990, (iv) 1995, (v) 2000, (vi) 2005 and (vii) 2010.

Andrew Robathan: The ratio of officers to other ranks for the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force for the requested years is as follows:
	
		
			  1981 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 
			 Royal Navy 1:6 1:6 1:5 1:5 1:5 1:4 1:4 
			 Army 1:9 1:8 1:8 1:7 1:7 1:6 1:6 
			 Royal Air Force 1:5 1:5 1:5 1:5 1:4 1:4 1:3 
			 Note:  Figures are for UK regular forces, trained and untrained, and exclude Gurkhas, full-time reserve service personnel and mobilised reservists.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the monetary value of payments which would be lost to (a) armed forces veterans, (b) war widows and (c) injured soldiers over (i) 10 years and (ii) 20 years as a result of the reduction in (A) armed forces pensions, (B) benefits for war widows and (C) benefits for injured soldiers.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Nick Smith) on 26 April 2011, Official Report, column 327W.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will reverse his decision to change the index used for armed forces pensions from retail prices index to consumer prices index.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Delyn (Mr Hanson) on 31 January 2011, Official Report, column 570.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on his decision to reduce pensions and benefits payments for war widows and injured soldiers; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: No decision has been taken to reduce pensions and benefits payments for war widows and injured personnel.
	We have received a small number of representations relating to these groups and the using of the consumer prices index method to calculate increases to pensions and benefits rather than the retail prices index. This includes discussions with the Central Advisory Committee on Pensions and Compensation, a statutorily-established advisory committee made up of internal and external members.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people resident in (a) Glenrothes constituency and (b) Fife are in receipt of (i) a war pension and (ii) payments from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

Andrew Robathan: The War Pension Scheme (WPS) provides no fault compensation to former service personnel and their dependants for illness, injury or death as a result of service from the start of the first world war in 1914 up until 5 April 2005.
	As at 30 September 2010 (the latest date for which figures are available), 205 individuals in the parliamentary constituency of Glenrothes, and 1,495 individuals in Fife were receiving an ongoing pension under the WPS.
	The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) was introduced on 6 April 2005 to provide compensation to service personnel and their dependants for illness, injury or death as a result of service from this date.
	As at 31 December 2010 (the latest date for which figures are available), fewer than five individuals in the parliamentary constituency of Glenrothes, and 45 individuals in Fife were awarded lump sum compensation payments under the AFCS. No individuals in the parliamentary constituency of Glenrothes and fewer than five individuals in Fife were receiving either guaranteed income payments (GIP) or survivor’s guaranteed income payments (SGIP) under the AFCS.
	Notes:
	1. Guaranteed income payment (GIP)—regular payment to service person to provide a continuous income stream.
	2. Survivor’s guaranteed income payment (SGIP)—regular payment to surviving dependant(s) to provide continuous financial support.
	3. In accordance with DASA’s rounding policy, all figures of five or more have been rounded to the nearest five and figures fewer than five have been suppressed.

Armed Forces: Young People

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the legal advice received by his Department on the enlistment of minors in the UK armed forces.

Andrew Robathan: Given that the recruitment of those under the age of 18 has been policy for decades, it is not possible to ascertain without incurring disproportionate costs what legal advice was received by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) or its predecessors. However, in recent years no external legal advice has been received by the MOD on this matter.

Armed Forces: Young People

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel under the age of 18 have required medical treatment for training-related injuries in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: Statistics on specifically training-related injuries are not held centrally. However, information held on the Defence Medical Information Capability Programme (DMICP) indicates that there were 1,220 UK regular forces personnel under the age of 18 who had an injury recorded in their DMICP primary health care record during the period 1 March 2010 to 28 February 2011.
	Complete DMICP primary care data are not available prior to 2010, and to obtain equivalent figures for previous years would require analysis of individual medical records, which would entail disproportionate cost.

Departmental Buildings

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) name and (b) address is of each building owned by his Department; and what the estimated monetary value is of each such building.

Andrew Robathan: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost given the extensive Ministry of Defence (MOD) estate.
	The MOD accounts for its assets based on their existing use and depreciated replacement cost. Valuations are carried out every five years on this basis.
	It is not possible to give the estimated monetary value of each building as the department does not maintain that information. Given the size of the estate, such valuations would be expensive to commission, and require frequent updating to allow for changing market conditions and other factors.
	Asset valuations of major Defence assets based on their existing use are included in the National Asset Register and can be found at the following website:
	http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm70/7022/7022.asp

Ex-servicemen: Employment

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to help former military service personnel find civilian employment.

Andrew Robathan: Prior to discharge, individual employment needs are identified from a mandatory interview with a trained service resettlement adviser who is able to signpost a number of organisations and services ranging from the ‘Flexible New Deal’ programme available at Jobcentre Plus to workshops and training delivered through the Career Transition Partnership. For those who have left, lifetime job finding support is available through the Officers' Association or the Regular Forces Employment Association. There are also various regimental associations, for example RAJA (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer (REME) Association Job Agency) that provide further help for former soldiers of certain regiments.
	In addition, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has been working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions and armed forces champions have been appointed that aim to ensure Jobcentre Plus staff are providing the correct advice and support, not only to families of our armed forces but also to former service personnel. We shall also be conducting an early service leaver trial later this year (for those who leave with less than four years' service) which aims to improve the resettlement provision for this cohort.

Ex-servicemen: Travel

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are in place to enable servicemen and women who are discharged whilst overseas to travel home.

Andrew Robathan: Service personnel whose service is terminated at their own request are not entitled to travel home at public expense unless they have completed more than four years’ service. In all other instances of termination or discharge, service persons (and their accompanying immediate family members) may travel home at public expense subject to the following rules:
	When service personnel are discharged from overseas and choose to settle in the UK, they will be entitled to travel at public expense from their last place of duty to a selected place of residence in the UK (or the Republic of Ireland, if they were recruited from, or would normally live there).
	When service personnel are discharged from overseas and choose to settle overseas, they will be entitled to travel at public expense from their last place of duty to the overseas location of their choice. However, if they choose to settle in a country that is more distant than the UK, the travel costs that they may claim are limited to the equivalent cost of travel to the UK.
	Additionally, service personnel who were attested overseas, and who were then conveyed to the UK at public expense may be returned to the country in which they were attested also at public expense on termination of their service.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) air to surface missiles, (b) air to air missiles, (c) ship to surface missiles and (d) ship to air missiles have been fired by UK forces deployed in Libya during the recent conflict.

Liam Fox: holding answer 28 April 2011
	We carefully select the type of weapon in every engagement to ensure the most appropriate munition is used to deliver the required effect, while minimising the risk to civilian casualties. From the start of recent operations in Libya up till 24 April 2011, UK forces have fired around 170 air to surface munitions and a number of ship to surface missiles.
	Over the same period, UK forces have not employed any air to air or ship to air missiles.
	I am withholding the number of ship to surface missiles as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Prince William: Marriage

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much (a) funding and (b) resources his Department has allocated to activities related to the royal wedding.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence allocated in the region of £75,000 in funding for the fly past as well as the transportation of military bands and route liners. The majority of service personnel were provided by London district from those employed on ceremonial duties and other London based units to minimise travel and subsistence expenditure.
	The military elements comprised:
	The 1st Battalion Irish Guards—The Queen's Guard.
	A Guard of Honour of three officers and 101 other ranks from the Welsh Guards with a band of the Welsh Guards.
	46 officers and 840 other ranks from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force who lined the route.
	One band from the Royal Navy, four bands from the Army and one band from the Royal Air Force.
	The Sovereign’s Escort and Captain’s Escort involving the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and some 160 horses.
	24 personnel at the Great West Door.
	The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane) accompanied by a flypast of four aircraft (two Typhoons and two Tornadoes).
	Information on the full armed forces component of this historic occasion can be found on the MOD website at:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/History AndHonour/ArmedForcesRoleInRoyalWedding Announced.htm

TREASURY

Banks: Loans

John Denham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of how much and what proportion of the (a) total lending to businesses and (b) lending for 2011 above 2010 levels set out in the Project Merlin agreement to be provided by each financial institution subject to that agreement is to be attributable to (i) leasing and borrowing on the asset base, (ii) invoice financing, (iii) loans, (iv) intra-group finance and (v) actual drawn down overdraft balances;
	(2)  what the target level is for the proportion of (a) total lending to businesses and (b) lending for 2011 above the 2010 level set out in the Project Merlin agreement to be provided by each financial institution subject to that agreement for (i) leasing and borrowing on the asset base, (ii) invoice financing, (iii) loans, (iv) intra-group finance and (v) actual drawn down overdraft balances;
	(3)  how much and what proportion of the (a) total lending to small and medium-sized enterprises and (b) lending to such enterprises for 2011 above the 2010 levels set out in the Project Merlin agreement is to be provided by each financial institution subject to that agreement; and how much and what proportion (i) in total and (ii) by each such institution he estimates will be attributable to (A) leasing and borrowing on the asset base, (B) invoicing financing, (C) loans, (D) intra-group lending and (D) actual drawn down overdraft balances;
	(4)  what the 2010 target level for the proportion of the (a) total lending to small and medium-sized enterprises and (b) lending to such enterprises for 2011 above the 2010 level set out in the Project Merlin agreement is to be provided by each financial institution subject to that agreement for (i) leasing and borrowing on the asset base, (ii) invoice financing, (iii) loans, (iv) intra-group finance and (v) actual drawn down overdraft balances;
	(5)  how much and what proportion of the (a) total lending and (b) lending for 2011 above the 2010 level set out in the Project Merlin agreement is to be provided (i) in total and (ii) by each financial institution subject to the agreement as (A) gross loans, (B) net increase to existing loans and (C) new loans to (1) all businesses and (2) small and medium-sized enterprises.

Mark Hoban: As announced on 9 February 2011, Official Report, columns 310-13, by the Chancellor, the UK's five major banks have stated a capacity and willingness to lend £190 billion of new credit to business in 2011. This includes £76 billion of new lending to SMEs, which is a 15% increase on the amount lent in 2010. If demand exceeds this, the banks will lend more.
	The Bank of England will report, on a quarterly basis, the banks' total new lending to all businesses (and within that, to SMEs) under the definitions used for Project Merlin. There is no further breakdown of the Project Merlin lending agreement either by institution or by type of lending.

Business: Universities

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many meetings representatives of his Department held with senior university staff in each month in 2011 at which the relationship between universities and business was discussed;
	(2)  how many meetings his Department had with representatives of the business community in each month in 2011 at which the relationship between universities and business was discussed;
	(3)  how many meetings his Department held with senior regional development agency staff in each month in 2011 at which the relationship between universities and business was discussed.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 28 April 2011
	Treasury Ministers and officials regularly meet with representatives from a wide range of public and private sector organisations, including the business community, regional development agencies and the university sector. Such engagement occurs throughout policy development and implementation. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

Construction Industry Scheme

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the likely effects of the abolition of the Construction Industry Scheme team on (a) the incidence of employees being wrongly designated as self-employed and (b) levels of revenue accruing to the Exchequer; what the outcome of that assessment was; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the assessment;
	(2)  what risk analysis his Department conducted in respect of the proposed abolition of the Construction Industry Scheme team; what the outcome of that analysis was; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the analysis.

David Gauke: The Construction Industry Scheme was not abolished, but continues under a different structure within local compliance.
	The analysis was built from a number of intelligence briefings and strategic intelligence assessments which were protectively marked and only to be viewed with the permission of the author. It would not be appropriate to place the analysis in the Library.

Departmental Work Experience

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many students from (a) the UK and (b) Bassetlaw constituency have been offered internships in his Department since 8 May 2010.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice his Department provides to those wishing to (a) work as an intern, (b) undertake a work experience placement and (c) work as a volunteer in his Department.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury does not have its own scheme for work experience or internships, but participates in schemes run centrally by the Cabinet Office. Any individuals enquiring about internships are directed to the schemes in operation at the time, including Summer Diversity Internships and Government Economics Services Internships, and to the civil service website where details are available of internships offered by other Government Departments.
	In respect of the number of UK students offered internships at HM Treasury since 8 May 2010, I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Luciana Berger) on 22 October 2010, Official Report, column 896W. Data on the country of origin and parliamentary constituency of such students are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Equality Act 2010

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Financial Statement of 23 March 2011, Official Report, column 955, if he will publish the evidence on which the decision not to implement the dual discrimination rules under the Equality Act 2010 were based.

Lynne Featherstone: I have been asked to reply.
	The decision not to take forward the dual discrimination provisions of the Equality Act 2010 was taken following assessment by the Government Equalities Office of the costs and benefits associated with the commencement of those provisions. A decision on publication of that evidence will be made in due course.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Nick Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what further plans he has for the level of fuel duty in each year to 2015;
	(2)  pursuant to the Budget Statement of 23 March 2011, what steps the Government have taken in relation to the passing on to consumers of the reduction of one penny in fuel duty;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the reduction in fuel duty on the logistics industry in the UK.

Justine Greening: Budget 2011 abolished the fuel duty escalator and replaced it with a fair fuel stabiliser. Duty will increase by inflation only, when oil prices are high. If the oil price falls below a set trigger price on a sustained basis duty will increase by RPI plus 1p per litre. The Government will consult informally before setting the level and mechanism for the trigger.
	Average fuel price data suggest that generally there has been a pass through of the 1p per litre reduction in duty on deliveries from refineries, although ongoing increases in the price of oil have also impacted pump prices. The duty reduction potentially helps to ease the cost pressure of peaking oil prices on the logistics industry.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2011, Official Report, column 1166W, on excise duties: fuel, for what reasons he is not applying to the European Commission to implement the 5 pence per litre rural fuel duty rebate to cover North Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: A derogation request was submitted to the European Commission on Budget day for a rural fuel duty pilot scheme. This is intended to deliver a 5 pence per litre duty discount on petrol and diesel across the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, the islands in the Clyde and the Isles of Scilly.
	Pump prices in these areas are particularly high compared to mainland areas because of the high cost of transporting and distributing fuel to remote rural island communities.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how he expects the fuel duty stabiliser introduced in the 2011 Budget will help stabilise petrol and diesel pump prices.

Neil Parish: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will establish a cross-departmental review of the tax incentives offered for biodiesel.

Justine Greening: The fair fuel stabiliser ensures that when oil prices are high, as now, fuel duty will increase by inflation only.
	Biodiesel is supported through the Department for Transport-administered Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). Unlike the excise duty system the RTFO is able to distinguish the environmental sustainability of biodiesel supplies and therefore help to safeguard against deforestation and unsustainable impacts on food crop production.

Income Tax

Edward Balls: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to page 26 of his Department’s Budget 2011 policy costings document, if he will publish the projections of future incomes based on the Survey of Personal Incomes.

Justine Greening: holding answer 28 April 2011
	The income tax base for policy costings is estimated using data on taxable incomes taken from the Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI).
	These estimates are based on the 2007-08 SPI using projections consistent with the OBR's March 2011 economic and fiscal outlook, details of which are available at:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/wordpress/docs/economic_and_fiscal_outlook_23032011.pdf
	The estimated average total income of taxpayers in 2012-13 to 2015-16 taking account of all policy announcements up to 2015-16 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Taxpayers average total income (£) 
			 2012-13 31,500 
			 2013-14 32,600 
			 2014-15 34,000 
			 2015-16 35,400

PAYE: Parish Councils

Steve Brine: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the effect on parish council budgets of the recent guidance issued by HM Revenue and Customs requiring such councils to operate the pay as you earn system on income received by parish clerks for the purposes of (a) tax and (b) national insurance contributions.

David Gauke: HMRC does not have an assessment of the effects on parish councils budget of operating pay as you earn (PAYE) scheme on payments made to parish clerks.
	HMRC does recognise that employers, particularly small employers operating PAYE for the first time can find it daunting and offers significant help to all employers.
	To help parish councils who need to operate PAYE for the first time HMRC set up a team of specialist advisers on the new employer helpline 08457 143 143 who have been specially briefed to deal with their queries.
	HMRC also produces a free basic PAYE tool for small employers. It contains a calculator that works out the tax due and includes the forms that the parish council would need to run its payroll throughout the year and make annual returns. It will also allow the council to file any starter and leaver forms and its annual return online and this will help mitigate its costs.
	HMRC also offers free workshops at many locations covering all payroll topics.

RBS and Lloyds TSB

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate UK Financial Investments has made of the level of debt removed from the balance sheet by (a) RBS and (b) Lloyds TSB due to customer insolvency in each of the last three months.

Mark Hoban: UK Financial Investments (UKFI) manages the Government’s shareholding in Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) on an arm’s length and commercial basis.
	UKFI does not make estimates on the level of debt removed by investee banks but will set out a summary of LBG and RBS’s performance and key financials as reported in their annual report.

RBS and Lloyds TSB

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on how many occasions (a) RBS and (b) Lloyds TSB have appointed insolvency practitioners in respect of small businesses since 8 May 2010; and what assessment he has made of the trends in the incidence of such procedures in the last 12 months;
	(2)  on how many occasions insolvency practitioners appointed by (a) RBS and (b) Lloyds TSB have sold companies as going concerns in the last 12 months.

Mark Hoban: The appointment of insolvency practitioners is a matter for the management of the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group.

Revenue and Customs: Correspondence

Steve Brine: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average time taken by HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessor to (a) open mail received and (b) take the action required on the correspondence so received was in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) the last month of each of the last five tax years.

David Gauke: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost as HMRC does not currently hold there data.

Revenue and Customs: Performance Standards

Katy Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the length of time taken for HM Revenue and Customs to process (a) probate cases in England and Wales and (b) confirmation cases in Scotland; and if he will assess the potential effects on bereaved families of the time taken to process such cases.

David Gauke: HMRC is not involved in every application for a grant of probate or confirmation; the majority are dealt with via probate registries in England and Wales or the Sheriff Court in Scotland.
	In the cases where HMRC is involved, where all the information relating to the application for a grant or confirmation is complete and correct, 98% are dealt with within five working days based on figures available for 2010-11.
	In cases where payment of tax due has not been made or there is documentation missing HMRC prioritises the follow up contact with the personal representatives of the estate to correct the position as quickly as possible.
	This work is treated as priority at all stages due to the sensitive nature of the work and the understanding that delays in issuing the grant of probate or confirmation can be distressing for the family of the deceased.

Stamp Duty Land Tax: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much and what proportion of stamp duty land tax he estimates was collected from transactions made in Wales in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: The estimated stamp duty land tax (SDLT) receipts for Wales are available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/stamp_duty/menu.htm
	
		
			 Annual estimates from 2005-06 to 2009-10 
			  Estimated SDLT receipts   (£ million) Proportion of SDLT (UK) (%) 
			 2005-06 175 2.4 
			 2006-07 225 2.4 
			 2007-08 210 2.1 
			 2008-09 115 2.4 
			 2009-10 100 2.0

Taxation

Jo Swinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people in the UK his Department estimates have incorrect tax codes;
	(2)  what the cost to his Department was of issuing incorrect tax codes in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

David Gauke: The exact number of incorrect coding notices issued by HMRC is not known. In any year, a small percentage of tax codes will be incorrect, as the codes may not always reflect changes in an individual's circumstances. That is why HMRC send out coding notices well in advance of the start of the new tax year so that customers can review them and report any changes.
	Information relating to costs for the last 12 months in respect of incorrect coding notices is not available.

Taxation: Renewable Energy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) community-owned renewable energy schemes and (b) investment in renewables of the withdrawal of enterprise investment scheme tax relief.

Justine Greening: Enterprise Investment Scheme tax relief has not been withdrawn for investments in companies engaged in community-owned renewable energy schemes or investment in renewables.
	Legislation will be introduced in Finance Bill 2012 providing that companies whose trade consists wholly or substantially in the receipt of feed-in tariffs will only be eligible for the Enterprise Investment Scheme or Venture Capital Trusts where commercial electricity generation commences before 6 April 2012. The change will not apply to any shares issued before 23 March 2011.
	This change is designed to improve the focus of the schemes on smaller, higher risk companies. Draft legislation will be published for consultation before it is implemented.

Taxation: Self-employment

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the total (a) number and (b) monetary value was of financial penalties imposed on firms found to have incorrectly designated the status of employees in each year from 2005 to 2010;
	(2)  how many HM Revenue and Customs compliance reviews resulted in a change of employee status in each year from 2005 to 2010.

David Gauke: The information requested is not available.

Taxation: Solar Power

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the solar power industry requesting meetings to discuss the solar power sector (a) before and (b) after the announcement of the comprehensive spending review (CSR) settlement; and what such meetings Ministers in his Department had with representatives of the industry (i) before and (ii) after the CSR announcement.

Justine Greening: Spending review 2011 included wide consultation and representations were received from a range of individuals and organisations. Departmental decisions relating to the implementation of spending review settlements have similarly sought to include discussions with interested parties.

Taxation: Solar Power

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff of his Department have expertise on solar power.

Justine Greening: The Department of Energy and Climate Change is the lead Department on solar energy issues. The Treasury works closely with that Department and with others inside and outside Government who have expertise in this area.

Unemployment: Young People

Alison McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what projection for business planning purposes HM Revenue and Customs has made of the number of 16 to 24-year-olds in employment in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, (c) 2013-14, (d) 2014-15, (e) 2015-16 and (f) 2016-17.

David Gauke: For strategic purposes HMRC does not use employment forecasts by age group as they do not always prove reliable and are not critical to its planning. HMRC bases its planning on population growth, and predicted churn in the working population. It does identify the assumed population reaching working age to forecast broad numbers of NI numbers issued. Employment levels by age band are not used, as even if employment is fluctuating HMRC will continue to experience “churn” in the PAYE, tax credit and self-assessment populations, and there is no clear correlation with employment levels that we can rely on.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Anaerobic Digestion

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an assessment of the anaerobic digestion (AD) biogas combined heat and power plant run by Alfagy Ltd at Hatherop; and what plans his Department has to support further AD development.

Gregory Barker: I understand from the South West Regional Development Agency, who have overseen the Hatherop AD plant, that this is an excellent project. I wish the project continued success.
	In order to promote AD development more widely, DECC is supporting projects through the feed-in tariffs (FITs) scheme, the renewables obligation and the forthcoming renewable heat incentive. In response to low uptake of FITs for AD plants, we are currently seeking views on proposals to increase the tariffs for farm-scale AD as part of the fast-track consultation on FITs. DEFRA and DECC are also working closely with industry to draw up a joint programme of work to tackle other barriers to the deployment of AD. The aim is to publish this in an AD strategy in June.

Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether energy purchased from a port landlord which is subject to a climate change agreement held by a tenant is also subject to the carbon reduction commitment energy efficiency scheme; and what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department provides consistent information to port operators on this issue.

Gregory Barker: It is the policy intent of CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme that there should be no double counting of energy use under CRC and climate change agreements (CCAs). CRC allowances are therefore not required to be purchased in respect of energy used by a CCA facility, irrespective of whether the CCA is held by the landlord or tenant.
	However, a landlord will need to include the energy use from a tenant’s CCA facilities as part of their once per phase footprint reporting obligations.
	Support and information on CRC’s implementation is provided to all participants by the administrators of the scheme (the Environment Agency in England and Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency). Guidance documents and details of the dedicated CRC help desk are provided on the Environment Agency’s webpage at:
	www.environment-agency.gov.uk/crc

Carbon Sequestration

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether steps to promote investment in carbon capture and storage in the UK were agreed at the clean emissions ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: No actions to promote carbon capture and storage in the UK specifically were agreed at the clean energy ministerial meeting. Energy Ministers endorsed a suite of recommendations for action over the coming year to promote the global deployment of CCS, recognising the need for international cooperation to advance policies and financial mechanisms and develop regulatory frameworks for safe, long-term geologic storage of carbon dioxide. The Carbon Capture Use and Storage Action Group, led jointly by the UK and Australia, will report progress toward these recommendations at the third ministerial meeting, to be hosted in London in 2012.
	Further details are available from the clean energy ministerial website:
	www.cleanenergyministerial.org

Coal Fired Power Stations: Closures

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change by what date he expects the coal-fired power stations at (a) Kingsnorth, (b) Didcot A, (c) Ferrybridge and (d) Tilbury to close.

Charles Hendry: The coal-fired power stations at Kingsnorth, Didcot A, Tilbury and two units of Ferrybridge C have opted to take a limited lifetime derogation under the large combustion plant directive. This allows them to run up to 20,000 hours between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2015. This capacity is therefore due to close by the end of 2015. Subject to permitting conditions, it is for the operators to decide how to make use of their 20,000 hours.

Departmental Procurement

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals for a standard ISO 9000 qualification for small and medium-sized enterprises seeking contracts from his Department or its contractors for work on nuclear projects.

Charles Hendry: The Government's role is to create the right conditions for investment by the private sector in new nuclear power stations and it will be energy companies, not the Government, who will build and operate them.
	The legal responsibility to make and implement adequate quality assurance arrangements in respect of all matters which may affect safety falls on site licensee companies. This responsibility includes setting out the quality assurance arrangements for their supply chain including the accreditations that might be required by specific companies with specific roles.
	We continue to work with the nuclear industry to increase the UK supply chain's understanding of quality assurance requirements and to further develop its capability and competitiveness through initiatives such as the Nuclear Industry Association's sc@nuclear programme, the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, the Manufacturing Advisory Service and through national and local engagement events held by EDF and other major suppliers.

Departmental Procurement

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has received on the cost of ISO and Nuclear Standards certification required to meet pre-qualification requirements for contracts with his Department or its contractors.

Charles Hendry: I have not received any representations on the cost of ISO and Nuclear Standards certification as the Department is not responsible for procuring or letting contracts to build new nuclear power stations.
	The Government's role is to create the right conditions for investment by the private sector in new nuclear power stations and it will be energy companies, not the Government, who will build and operate them.

Departmental Work Experience

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what advice his Department provides to those wishing to (a) work as an intern, (b) undertake a work experience placement and (c) work as a volunteer in his Department.

Gregory Barker: There is no direct advice on these topics on the DECC's external website. Managers have authority to offer work as an intern: DECC does not have an intern scheme, so normal short-term contracts would be used and normal recruitment processes and authority levels apply.
	Managers also have authority to offer individuals the opportunity to undertake a work experience placement, subject to authority limits. Internal guidance is available for managers who offer these placements.
	DECC does not have a policy of allowing people to work as volunteers in the Department.

Electricity Generation: Costs

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the levelised cost of each electricity generating technology; and what modelling assumptions were made in reaching this figure.

Charles Hendry: The tables are taken from Mott MacDonald (2010) and give levelised cost estimates (average generation cost per megawatt-hour) for new build plants in the main large-scale electricity generation technologies in the UK, including both fossil fuel and low carbon plant, at current engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract prices.
	It should be noted that for the purposes of presentation, the tables only give either ‘FOAK’ (first-of-a-kind) prices or ‘NOAK’ (nth-of-a-kind) prices for each technology. NOAK is given for established technologies and FOAK for those technologies which are yet to be built in the UK or benefit from learning. These are appropriate comparators for current costs.
	The full report including methodology and assumptions can be accessed via this link:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Statistics/Projections/71-uk-electricity-generation-costs-update-.pdf
	
		
			 Table 1: 10% discount rate, 2009 project start at today’s EPC prices, with mixed FOAK/NOAK 
			 Levelised cost Gas CC GT Gas CCGT with CCS (FOAK) ASC Coal ASC Coal with CCS (FOAK) Coal IGCC (FOAK) Coal IGCC with CCS (FOAK) Onshore wind Offshore wind (FOAK) Offshore wind R3 (FOAK) Nuclear PWR (FOAK) 
			 Capital Costs 12.4 29.8 33.4 74.1 61.7 82.0 79.2 124.1 144.6 77.3 
			 Fixed operating costs 3.7 7.7 8.6 18.6 9.7 17.7 14.6 36.7 45.8 12.2 
			 Variable operating costs 2.3 3.6 2.2 4.7 3.4 4.6 — — — 2.1 
			 Fuel Costs 46.9 65.0 19.9 28.7 20.3 28.3 — — — 5.3 
			 Carbon Costs 15.1 2.1 40.3 6.5 39.6 5.5 — — — "" 
		
	
	
		
			 Decomm and waste fund — — — — — — — — — 2.1 
			 CO2  transport and storage — 4.3 — 9.6 — 9.5 — — — — 
			 Steam Revenue — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Total levelised cost 80.3 112.5 104.5 142.1 134.6 147.6 93.9 160.9 190.5 99.0 
			 Source: Matt MacDonald (2010), UK Electricity Generation Costs Update, available at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Statistics/Projections/71-uk-electricity-generation-costs-update-.pdf 
		
	
	It should be noted that the estimates of levelised costs for different types of electricity generation are highly sensitive to the assumptions used for capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, load factor, and other drivers, meaning that there is significant uncertainty around these estimates.
	In the year 2017, assuming that all technologies have been built at least once in the UK, the following NOAK costs may apply to all technologies, however, it should be noted that these costs are not considered achievable today.
	
		
			 Table 2: 10% discount rate, 2017 start at projected EPC prices, all NOAK 
			 Levelised cost Gas CCGT Gas CCGT with CCS ASC Coal ASC Coal with CCS Coal IGCC Coal IGCC with CCS Onshore wind Offshore wind Offshore wind R3 Nuclear PWR 
			 Capital Costs 11.2 20.7 28.7 47.8 33.7 46.5 71.7 89.4 97.0 49.6 
			 Fixed operating costs 3.7 6.0 8.6 13.8 8.0 12.3 — 23.0 30.9 9.1 
			 Variable operating costs 2.3 3.6 2.2 3.7 2.7 3.6 — — — 1.8 
			 Fuel Costs 49.8 64.7 19.9 27.6 19.6 27.2 — — — 5.2 
			 Carbon Costs 29.6 4.1 73.8 11.4 72.0 10.0 — — — — 
			 Decomm and waste fund — — — — — — — — — 2.1 
			 CO2 transport and storage — 3.5 — 7.6 — 7.5 — — — — 
			 Steam Revenue — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Total levelised cost 96.5 102.6 133.2 111.9 136.0 107.1 86.3 112.4 127.9 67.8 
			 Source: Matt Macdonald (2010), UK Electricity Generation Costs Update, available at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Statistics/Projections/71-uk-electricity-generation-costs-update-.pdf

Electricity: Prices

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence (i) he and (ii) his officials have had on those parts of RIIO-T1 which relate to visual amenity in electricity connection and transmission schemes.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem is responsible for the next transmission price control (RIIO-T1). The Department's input on visual amenity has been through official level engagement with Ofgem and other stakeholders, involving discussions, correspondence and participation at stakeholder events such as the Price Control Review Forum and RIIO Working Groups.

Energy: Developing Countries

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last discussed the UK's objectives for the World Bank energy strategy review with the Secretary of State for International Development.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State meets with the Secretary of State for International Development on a regular basis. Although they have not met specifically to discuss the World Bank energy strategy review, officials from both Departments meet regularly and discuss the review. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change is in contact with officials on the key issues relating to this process.
	DFID officials have also been in regular contact with the World Bank throughout the process to feed in UK views. They have emphasised the need for the World Bank to take full account of all the relevant issues concerning use of renewable energy versus fossil fuels in developing countries, and to have greater consideration for the vulnerability of natural resources and energy assets in developing countries. The UK has also emphasised the importance of strengthening the World Bank's role in supporting developing country planning capacity for low carbon, climate resilient growth.

Energy: Housing

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an assessment of the potential effects on a property’s value of a Green Deal finance package.

Gregory Barker: The impact assessment for the Energy Bill considered the impact of energy efficiency measures on house prices, and is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/legislation/energy_bill/energy_bill.aspx
	It noted that, in principle, in a well functioning market the property price should change to reflect at least the expected bill savings. There is some evidence from Australia and the USA that identified increases in some property values as a result of energy efficiency improvements. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors notes that:
	“there are some promising early signs that a value differential is emerging for energy efficient buildings in the commercial sector in the US, which allows some optimism that it is possible for property markets to change to reflect energy efficiency.”
	Currently, no empirical data set is available to assess the potential effects of a Green Deal finance package on a property’s value in the UK.

Hinkley Point Power Stations

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to increase the proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises in the South West able to bid for contracts at Hinkley Point power station.

Charles Hendry: The Government are committed to developing the capability and competitiveness of the UK supply chain and are already taking steps to achieve this through initiatives such as the Nuclear Industry Association's sc@nuclear programme which is focused on engaging with SMEs.
	This and other initiatives such as the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and the Manufacturing Advisory Service are open to companies in the south-west as well as nationwide and are intended to put UK suppliers in the best possible position to compete for the opportunities that would be created by a new nuclear build programme.
	As part of all of this EDF has been working with the local community in the sout-west and has set up a website with the Somerset Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ltd where local companies can get more information on the opportunities at the proposed site at Hinkley Point and can register as contractors (for work which is directly related to construction at Hinkley Point or associated development) or indirect service suppliers (for services to EDF Energy and main contractors that are not directly related to on site activity such as taxi firms, accommodation providers, office supplies, local retailers etc).
	EDF has also invested £3 million in the Energy Skills Centre at Bridgwater college to help secure skilled jobs for local people on its project and plans to invest a further £1.5 million to establish a construction skills training centre at Bridgwater college, in partnership with the college. Other projects include an investment of £1.6 million in West Somerset Community college to support training in specific skills that will help people into employment on Hinkley Point and create an apprenticeship hub.
	We will continue to encourage EDF and other prospective licensees to engage with the UK and local supply chains to ensure that UK companies have the opportunity to compete for the benefits presented by nuclear new build in the UK and overseas.

Nuclear Power Stations: Safety

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what mechanism he has put in place to provide for independent monitoring of the effect of low-level radiation from nuclear energy generation (a) on land and (b) in the marine environment.

Charles Hendry: The Environment Agencies (the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency), together with the Food Standards Agency, undertake independent monitoring programmes for radioactivity in the terrestrial and aquatic environments around nuclear installations in the UK. DEFRA, via the Environment Agencies, also funds seven extremely sensitive monitors for radioactivity in air, located across the UK, as our contribution to the Euratom monitoring programme.
	The results of these programmes are published annually in the “Radioactivity in Food and the Environment” report series. The latest report can be found at:
	http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO1010BTCY-e-e.pdf
	RIMNET is the UK’s nuclear radiation monitoring and nuclear emergency response system, established in 1988, and operated on behalf of DECC by the Met Office. It includes 95 monitors stationed across the UK to detect increases in background levels of radiation. Any evidence of a nuclear incident abroad, of radiological significance for the UK, would result in a national alert being raised.
	Additionally, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) carries out gamma spectrometry tests on samples collected from around the UK, including sites in Glasgow and Oxfordshire.

Nuclear Power Stations: Safety

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on (a) nuclear energy and (b) other aspects of energy policy.

Charles Hendry: The Prime Minister discussed the response to the events in Fukushima with other Heads of Government/Heads of State at the European Council on 24/25 March. Following that, DECC officials have been working closely with other governments, regulators and the Commission in developing the criteria for stress tests for nuclear installations.
	I met Commissioner Oettinger on 10 February to discuss a range of issues including the Energy 2020 strategy. I also attended the Energy Council on 28 February where energy efficiency, renewable energy and the Internal Energy Market were discussed. I have discussed a wide range of EU energy issues, including nuclear, with my European counterparts at the Informal Energy Council on 2/3 May.

Nuclear Power Stations: Safety

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  whether he plans to extend nuclear power station emergency evacuation zones;
	(2)  what plans he has for the future size of emergency evacuation zones for nuclear power stations in the UK.

Charles Hendry: holding answer 28 April 2011
	There are no plans at present to make changes to the emergency evacuation zones surrounding nuclear power stations. A review of DEPZs may be considered following publication of the Mike Weightman report.

Radioactive Waste

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what quantities of operational (a) low, (b) intermediate and (c) high level nuclear waste have been created to date as a result of the UK's civil nuclear power programme; and what assessment he has made of the volumes of decommissioning waste that will be created from (i) the existing nuclear programme and (ii) any future new build programme.

Charles Hendry: The United Kingdom Radioactive Waste Inventory is currently updated every three years with the most recent update published on 22 March 2011. The inventory describes the stocks of radioactive waste and radioactive materials held in the UK at 1 April 2010 as well as those that are predicted to arise from the operation and decommissioning of current facilities in the future.
	The inventory includes wastes produced from a number of programmes including the generation of electricity in nuclear power stations, the associated production and processing of nuclear fuel, the use of radioactive materials in industry, medicine and research, and from some military nuclear programmes. The following table sets out the waste volumes resulting from these programmes, stored in the UK at 1 April 2010, as well as estimated arisings from current facilities in the future. The table does not include waste which has already been disposed of. Further information is available in the inventory reports available at:
	www.nda.gov.uk/ukinventory/
	
		
			  Stored waste at 1 April 2010 (m  (3)  ) Future  arisings (m  (3)  ) Total (m  (3)  ) 
			 Low Level Waste (LLW) 66,000 4,360,000 4,430,000 
			 Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) 94,300 192,000 287,000 
			 High Level Waste (HLW) 1,620 -601 1,020 
			 Total 162,000 4,550,000 4,720,000 
			 Notes 1. Future arisings of HLW have negative volumes. This is because Sellafield has reported future arisings of HLW to show that the volume of accumulated waste (liquid plus vitrified product) will fall as liquid waste existing at 1.4.2010 and forecast in the future is conditioned to a vitrified product. 2. HL W is the product of reprocessing the spent fuel from current reactors. 
		
	
	The amount of radioactive waste that would arise as a result of a future new build programme would depend on such issues as the number and the type of reactors. Based on an assumption of a new build fleet comprised of four AP 1000 reactors and four EPR reactors operating for 60 years and generating 10GW, disposability assessments undertaken by NDA suggest that the estimated amount of intermediate level waste could be of the order of 25,000 cubic meters and an estimated amount of spent fuel of about 20,000 cubic meters. Based on the same assumptions, the low level waste management company, LLW Repository Ltd, has estimated that approximately 80,000 cubic meters of LLW might be produced.

Renewable Energy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of energy generation came from (a) wind, (b) solar, (c) biomass, (d) tidal, (e) hydropower and (f) biofuels in the last year for which figures are available.

Charles Hendry: The following table gives the proportion of UK electricity generated and UK energy demand from the specified sources.
	
		
			 Fuel Electricity  (1)   (%) Primary energy supply  (2)  (3)   (%) 
			 Wind 2.6 0.5 
			 Solar(4) — — 
			 Biomass(5) 3.1 (6)2.1 
			 Tidal(4) — — 
			 Hydropower 0.9 0.2 
			 Biofuels — (7)0.5 
			 Total renewable 6.6 3.1 
			 (1) 2010 provisional. (2) 2009. (3) 2010 data for total energy will be available at the end of July in DUKES 2011. (4) Solar and tidal generation contributes less than 0.01%. (5) Includes co-firing, non-biodegradable waste is excluded. (6) Includes biomass used for heat. (7) biofuels used in transport.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what model his Department used to calculate the cost to the Exchequer of the Feed-in Tariff scheme for the purposes of the comprehensive spending review.

Gregory Barker: The projected costs of Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) that informed the spending review were those modelled for the FITs Impact Assessment that was published by the previous administration in February 2010. The model was developed on behalf of the Department by consultants. The Impact Assessment, together with a qualitative and quantitative report produced by the consultants, sets out the modelling methodology used. These reports are available from the Department’s website.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his estimate is of the likely change in the number of jobs as a result of the proposed changes to the Feed-in Tariff scheme.

Gregory Barker: The Department does not hold this information at present, but we will be looking at issues of this kind as part of the comprehensive review of the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) scheme.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) investor confidence and (b) risk perception of proposed changes to the feed-in tariff scheme; and what steps his Department is taking to minimise any negative consequences for renewables investment beyond the solar sector.

Gregory Barker: A key objective for the feed-in tariffs review is to provide industry with transparency, longevity and certainty to enable sustainable growth. The fast-track consultation reflects this, firstly through proposals to address the risk of larger solar photovoltaic installations distorting funding for other smaller and domestic scale installations as well as other technologies, and secondly through proposals to address the disappointing uptake of farm-scale anaerobic digestion plants to date.
	The coalition remains committed to increasing the levels of renewable energy deployment in line with meeting the target for renewable energy set by the 2009 EU renewable energy directive. We are working to remove financial and non-financial barriers to deployment of all renewables and will be publishing a renewables roadmap by summer recess. This will clearly identify how the 2020 renewables target will be achieved, and will give clarity to markets of what will be required, helping to provide greater certainty to investors and the developers of new technology.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  if his Department will put in place transitional arrangements to minimise financial disadvantage to investors and project developers as a result of proposed changes to the feed-in tariff scheme;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the level of financial loss in the solar power sector as a result of proposed new feed-in tariff rates coming into effect on 1 August 2011.

Gregory Barker: We are currently consulting on proposals to reduce feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations of more than 50kW. The consultation seeks views on the proposed timing of the change in tariffs. We will consider all views expressed as part of the consultation in finalising the policy and will confirm the outcome in due course.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department plans to offer compensation to individuals, community schemes and companies who may be financially disadvantaged as a result of proposed changes to the feed-in tariff scheme.

Gregory Barker: We are currently consulting on proposals to reduce feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations of more than 50kW. We will consider all views expressed as part of the consultation in finalising the policy and will confirm the outcome in due course.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the benefits to community interest companies and local charities from continuing the feed-in tariff for solar energy at its present rate.

Gregory Barker: One of the aims of the fast-track review of feed-in tariffs is to rebalance the scheme back to its original purpose of encouraging deployment of additional small-scale low-carbon electricity generation by those who have not traditionally participated in the electricity market, including community groups and charities.
	Faster than anticipated reductions in the cost of solar photovoltaics (PV) mean that it does not need as much subsidy to be competitive. Under the proposed new tariffs for solar PV installations between 50kW and 250kW, community based projects should continue to benefit from the scheme but at a lower rate. We are currently consulting on these proposed new tariffs and will consider all views expressed, including any from community groups and charities, in finalising the policy. We will also be consulting on wider aspects of the scheme through the comprehensive review.

Solar Power: Finance

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations he has received on the provision of renewable energy grants for those parts of the UK with suitable conditions for solar photovoltaic farms.

Gregory Barker: No such representations have been received. However, a number of representations have separately been received in response to proposals to reduce feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaic installations above 50 kW. These proposals are set out in the FITs fast-track review consultation which closes on Friday 6 May.

Warm Front Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the potential number of jobs lost as a result of the reduction in funding for the Warm Front scheme in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

Gregory Barker: Estimated job losses are a matter for the Warm Front contractors and their subcontractors. We expect contractors to continue to utilise the job opportunities that a number of other schemes provide; these include the carbon emissions reduction target extension, the Community Energy Saving Programme, feed-in tariffs and the renewable heat incentive.

EDUCATION

Children's Centres

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the national children's play strategy.

Sarah Teather: The Government recognise how important it is that children have safe, free local places to play, and the benefits these places bring to the wider community more generally. However, it is not for central Government to determine what play facilities are available in local areas, or to tell the experts in the play sector how to deliver play provision. Children, parents, play professionals and local communities best know what is most needed in their local areas.
	The play capital programme finished at the end of March 2011, as originally intended under the previous administration's Play Strategy. The Government are giving councils more freedom over how they spend their money, giving communities more control over developments in their neighbourhoods, and making it easier for volunteers and charities to get involved. This should provide the opportunities for committed people and local groups to continue to influence play provision in their areas, leaving responsibility for play provision where it belongs: with local areas and their communities.

HEALTH

Abortion

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on proposals to widen the class of place in which abortions are permitted to take place.

Anne Milton: There are no plans to use the provision under section 1 (3A) of the Abortion Act 1967 to widen the class of place in which abortions are permitted to take place.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many abortions on the grounds of rectifiable disabilities were performed after 24 weeks' gestation in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many abortions there were at (a) 26 weeks and (b) each week after the 26th in each category of grounds for termination in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: Information on the number of abortions that are 24 weeks and over by principal medical condition, if performed under section 1(1)(d) of the Abortion Act, has been placed in the Library. Abortions performed under this section are those where
	‘there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped’.
	Medical conditions recorded under section 1(1)(d) are coded using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (10th edition) published by the World Health Organisation. This classification does not split diseases and related health problems into those that are rectifiable and those that are not.
	Information on the number of abortions at 26 weeks and each week after the 26th can be found in the following table for the periods 2003 to 2005 and 2006 to 2008. The figures for individual years are too small to be released. For the periods 2003 to 2005 and 2006 to 2008, the total abortions performed under grounds other than E, for abortions at 26 weeks and over, was less than 10 (between 0 and 9).
	
		
			 Number of abortions by gestations at 26 weeks and over, 2003-08 
			  Three year total 
			 Gestation weeks 2003-05 2006-08 
			 26 52 45 
			 27 21 31 
			 28 25 24 
			 29 20 26 
			 30 11 22 
			 31 15 12 
			 32 17 30 
			 33 12 14 
			 34 15 12 
			 35 and over 19 25 
			 Total 207 241

Alcoholic Drinks: Rehabilitation

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people being treated for alcohol addiction in each primary care trust are enrolled in (a) self help groups, (b) 12-step facilitation therapy, (c) cognitive behavioural therapy and (d) family therapy.

Anne Milton: This information is not collected centrally.

Anti-depressants

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in (a) England, (b) Newham and (c) West Ham constituency were prescribed anti-depressant medication in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) 2011 to date.

Simon Burns: Information on the number of people prescribed a medicine is not collected. The table shows prescription items prescribed in primary care in England and in Newham Primary Care Trust (PCT). This information is not available at constituency level.
	
		
			 Anti-depressant  (1)   prescription items prescribed in primary care in England and Newham PCT areas 
			 Thousand 
			  Prescription items England Prescription items Newham PCT 
			 2008 35,612.5 96.4 
			 2009 38,779.6 109.0 
			 2010 42,437.7 120.2 
			 2011 (January-February) 7,119.0 20.8 
			 (1) Anti-depressant medication has been defined as those products included in British National Formulary Chapter 4.3—anti depressant drugs. Source: Prescribing Analysis and Cost tool

Bowel Cancer: Health Education

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to provide information to the public on the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer.

Paul Burstow: We launched pilots for the first ever national public awareness campaign for bowel cancer in January 2011. The ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ campaign was piloted in the east of England and in the south-west of England. It ran for seven weeks to raise awareness of the key signs and symptoms of bowel cancer and to encourage people with these symptoms to go to their general practitioners. The campaign ended on 18 March 2011 and, subject to evaluation and lessons learned, it will be rolled out nationwide.
	Information on the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer is included with every invitation to take part in the NHS bowel cancer screening programme. Three million men and women aged 60 to 69 are invited to participate in screening every two years, and the programme is currently being extended to men and women aged up to 75.
	The Department has worked with health professionals, patient groups and the voluntary sector to produce key messages for bowel cancer. These are available on the NHS Choices website at:
	www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer-of-the-colon-rectum-or-bowel/pages/keymessages.aspx
	The Department encourages charities and other stakeholders to use them widely in awareness raising activities.

Cancer

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has plans to support the development of holistic needs assessments and care planning for cancer patients to take account of individual needs related to (a) age, (b) gender, (c) ethnicity, (d) educational attainment, (e) disability, (f) sexual orientation and (g) socio-economic group; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: All people with long-term conditions, including those with cancer should have their needs assessed and be offered personalised care planning. This should be tailored to their specific needs and circumstance, taking account of age, gender, ethnic and cultural background, educational attainment, disability, sexual orientation, socio-economic status and mental health. The Government are committed to a patient-led national health service, strengthening the patient’s choice and management of their own care. Proactive, preventive and personalised care planning with a focus on shared decision making fully supports these aims and will continue to be supported.

Care Homes: Standards

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to (a) maintain and (b) improve standards of local authority-run care homes.

Paul Burstow: Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 providers of care homes must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and meet a set of essential requirements of safety and quality.
	Failure to comply with the requirements is an offence, and CQC has a wide range of enforcement powers that it can use if the provider is not compliant.
	The Care Quality Commission will shortly be consulting on the details of a new “Excellence” award for adult social care providers. This will enable the best care providers to gain recognition and will encourage others to go beyond the essential standards to deliver truly excellent care.

CJD

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many cases the presence of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease has been evident in biopsies carried out following the death of a patient with haemophilia in the last 20 years.

Anne Milton: Abnormal prion protein associated with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease has been found in a single spleen sample taken from one haemophilia patient at post mortem. Details can be found in “Peden A, McCardle L, Head MW et al. Variant CJD infection in the spleen of a neurologically asymptomatic UK adult patient with haemophilia.” Haemophilia 2010; 16: 296-304. The journal Haemophilia is available on line at:
	www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=1351-8216

Dementia: Health Education

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish a public health campaign to provide information for the public on the links between lifestyle and risk of dementia.

Paul Burstow: The Government have recently undertaken a public awareness campaign on dementia, aimed at raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of dementia and urging people to seek an early diagnosis if they are concerned. The campaign was piloted in the north-west and Yorkshire and the Humber national health service regions, and it may be rolled out across the country once fully evaluated. There are no current plans to undertake a campaign focussed specifically on the links between lifestyle and dementia. However, guidance produced by the Department, including the National Dementia Strategy 2009, emphasises the links between lifestyle and dementia, and that what is good for your heart is good for your head.

Departmental Buildings

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) name and (b) address is of each building owned by his Department; and what the estimated monetary value is of each such building.

Simon Burns: The Department owns two freehold properties, Richmond house and Wellington house. Address and valuation details are as follows. Valuation figures are for land and property combined.
	Richmond house, 79 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2NS is valued at £77 million.
	Wellington house, 133-155 Waterloo road, London SE1 8UG is valued at £42.5 million.

Diamorphine

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria an addict has to meet to be prescribed diamorphine by the NHS.

Anne Milton: Only those doctors licensed by the Home Office for this purpose can prescribe diamorphine to treat opioid addiction.
	Eligibility criteria for the use of diamorphine are set out in expert consensus guidance: ‘Injectable heroin (and injectable methadone)—Potential roles in drug treatment’.
	A copy has been placed in the Library and is also available at the National Treatment Agency for substance misuse website at:
	www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/nta_injectable_heroin_and_ methadone_2003_summary.pdf

Fluoride

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to strategic health authorities on the factors to take into account in determining whether to use fluoride in the local water supply.

Anne Milton: The Chief Dental Officer's letter ‘Fluoridation of Drinking Water’, issued in February 2008 under Gateway reference 9361, refers to that matter. A copy has already been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_082666
	The Health and Social Care Bill proposes that responsibility for consultations on proposals for fluoridation schemes should transfer to local authorities, in which case we will issue revised guidance on the conduct of consultations and taking account of public opinion.

Health and Social Care Bill

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations he has received on the provisions of the Health and Social Care Bill from hon. Members representing constituencies in Scotland and Wales.

Simon Burns: The following table sets out numbers of representations on the Health and Social Care Bill to the Department from hon. Members representing Scottish and Welsh constituencies.
	
		
			 Hon. Members by constituency: Letters Parliamentary questions 
			 Scotland 3 16 
			 Wales 5 12

Limb Reduction Deformity: Babies

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies were born with limb reduction deformity in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The following table provides the number of live and stillbirths notified to the National Congenital Anomaly System for England and Wales (NCAS) with a mention of limb reduction defects for each year between 1999 and 2008 (the last year available). The number of notifications received by NCAS is likely to be less than the actual number of infants born with an anomaly.
	
		
			 Number of notifications to the NCAS with a mention of limb reduction deformity  (1)  , 1999-2008, England and Wales 
			 Registrations 
			   Limb reduction deformity (divided into register and non-register areas)  (3) 
			  Percentage of births covered by a local register  (2) Register Non-register Total 
			 1999 14 57 153 210 
			 2000 27 77 130 207 
			 2001 26 81 111 192 
			 2002 33 82 100 182 
			 2003 41 126 78 204 
			 2004 44 162 61 223 
			 2005 44 140 44 184 
			 2006(4) 46 126 54 180 
			 2007(4)(, )(5) 46 108 44 152 
			 2008(4)(, )(5) 37 63 34 97 
			 (1 )The table includes notifications coded to Q71 to Q73 using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10). Figures are based on data on NCAS on 20 October 2009.  (2) Births to women resident in England and Wales.  (3) Recording of congenital anomalies was more complete in areas with a local register because the register can obtain additional information. Consequently, the figures provided are presented separately for areas where a local register operated and for areas without a register in a particular year.  (4) Figures for 2006 onwards exclude data for some areas that used to be part of East Midlands and South Yorkshire congenital anomaly register.  (5) The North Thames (West) register ceased sending records to NCAS in September 2007 so the figures for 2007 and 2008 are an underestimate.  Source:  Office for National Statistics.

Mental Health Services

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the commissioning of (a) high security, (b) medium security, (c) low security and (d) community forensic mental health services by GP consortia and the NHS Commissioning Board.

Paul Burstow: The Health and Social Care Bill, which was presented to Parliament on 19 January 2011, completed its Committee Stage on 31 March. Clause 12 of the Health and Social Care Bill (subject to parliamentary approval) amends the National Health Services Act 2006 to remove from the Secretary of State the duty to provide high secure mental health services and places a duty instead on the National Health Service Commissioning Board to arrange for the provision of these services. The Secretary of State informed the House of Commons on 4 April that the Department is taking the opportunity of a natural break in the passage of the Bill to pause, listen, and engage with all those who want the NHS to succeed, and subsequently to bring forward amendments to improve the Bill further.
	Following on from this, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State launched an engagement exercise on 6 April. To oversee the NHS listening exercise, the Department has brought together the NHS Future Forum, a group of patient representatives, clinicians and others from the health field, including frontline staff, to drive the process of engagement with staff, patients and communities. Further information about the NHS Future Forum and the listening exercise is available on the website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/healthandcare
	People who wish to get involved can read more about the listening exercise and leave comments publicly on the website. By June, Ministers will decide how to take forward the Bill in a way that reflects what has been heard. Following this, decisions about the commissioning of secure and community forensic mental health services in the new NHS will be made.

Mental Health Services

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve access to psychological therapies.

Paul Burstow: The Improving Access to Psychological Therapy programme (IAPT) continues to offer increasing numbers of people in England access to National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence-approved therapy for mental health conditions. We will invest £400 million in the next four years to ensure the full roll-out of IAPT. We expect this will mean that between April 2011 and the end of the spending review period:
	3.2 million people will access IAPT, receiving guided self help or therapy;
	2.6 million of them will complete a course of therapy treatment; and
	up to 1.3 million (50% of those treated) will move to measurable recovery.
	This investment is in addition to the funding primary care trusts have already received for talking therapies.

Mental Health Services: Waiting Lists

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate has been made of average waiting times for cognitive behavioural therapy in NHS facilities in (a) Suffolk and (b) the rest of the country.

Paul Burstow: In Suffolk, based on Improving Access to Psychological Therapy programme (IAPT) referrals for March 2011, the average waiting time from referral to treatment for guided self-help is six days. The average wait for high intensity cognitive behavioural therapy is seven days.
	At present, we do not measure the average waiting time nationally, however, we will be in a position to measure the average waiting time once the IAPT Data Standard comes into use in April 2012.

Midwives: Manpower

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 April 2011, Official Report, column 680W, on midwives, whether the figures provided in the answer include management staff.

Anne Milton: The answer of 4 April 2011, Official Report, column 680W, was based on the number of full-time equivalent registered midwives working in the national health service and did not include managers.

Muscular Dystrophy

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by the NHS East of England Specialised Commissioning Group in recruiting and appointing three neuromuscular care advisors for the region; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: We have been advised by the East of England Strategic Health Authority that the East of England Specialised Commissioning Group is working with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign to confirm arrangements for the recruitment of three East of England Neuro-muscular Care Pathway Co-ordinators. The East of England Specialised Commissioning Group expects to advertise the posts during May.

Neurological Conditions: Health Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to implement the quality requirements set out in the National Services Framework for Long Term Neurological Conditions.

Paul Burstow: The White Paper “Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS” places outcomes at the heart of health policy and this fits well with the aspirations of the national service framework for long-term conditions (the NSF). The NSF focused on achieving a better experience and better outcomes for those with a long-term condition but did not prescribe the processes by which this should be achieved. Delivery was left by the last Government to the national health service to resolve locally.
	Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill through Parliament, general practitioner (GP) led commissioning consortia will be responsible for commissioning the great majority of NHS services. GPs, in partnership with other local health care professionals such as therapists and community nurses, are best placed to understand the health needs of local populations and how to work with their local populations—including patient-led organisations such as the Neurological Alliance’s Commissioning Support organisation, and other service users—to design services that meet those needs.
	The NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for assessment of the performance of GP consortia. The board will draw on the national outcome goals in the NHS outcomes framework to develop a new commissioning outcomes framework. Measures from the commissioning outcomes framework will be used by the board to hold GP consortia to account for the quality of services they commission and the health outcomes they achieve for patients.

Neurological Conditions: Health Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people were recorded as having an acquired brain injury in each of the last six years;
	(2)  how many people suffered a traumatic brain injury in each of the last six years; and how many of those received post acute care;
	(3)  who will be responsible for commissioning specialist brain injury rehabilitation services under his proposals for the reorganisation of the NHS.

Paul Burstow: Brain injury rehabilitation services are classed as a specialised service, and are currently commissioned by 10 regional groups. The Health and Social Care Bill sets out our intention that specialised services will be commissioned in the future by the NHS Commissioning Board.
	Information on the number of people recorded as having a traumatic brain injury in each of the last six years is not collected centrally.
	All those who suffered a traumatic brain injury will have received some form of post-acute care.

Neuromuscular Services: South East England

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by the NHS South East Coast Specialised Commissioning Group on recruiting and appointing a neuromuscular care advisor for the region; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: We have been advised by the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority that the South East Coast Specialised Commissioning Group is working with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign to confirm arrangements for the recruitment of a South East Coast Neuro-muscular Care Pathway Co-ordinator. The post will be advertised with a view to a suitable candidate commencing the role by the end of summer 2011.

NHS Blood and Transplant

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what in-house functions his Department is assessing as part of the review of NHS Blood and Transplant; whether members of the public are able to monitor progress in the review; and if he will take steps to ensure that private companies are able to tender to deliver any services that the review concludes should be outsourced.

Anne Milton: The review is examining NHS Blood and Transplant’s (NHSBT’s) non-donor facing activities such as information technology, estates, testing, processing and logistics, to help NHSBT further improve the efficiency of its operations. The review is currently a work in progress and there are no plans to report publicly on the interim stages of the process. A final report will come to Ministers for their consideration in the summer.
	If, in the future, NHSBT chooses to hold a competitive tendering exercise for work that assists it in carrying out its functions, that will be a matter for NHSBT. Any public procurement has to follow the good practice of having an open and competitive process.
	NHSBT will remain in the public sector and remain accountable to the Secretary of State for Health for all of its functions.

NHS: Drugs

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he expects the (a) National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and (b) Advisory Group for National Specialist Services to develop a separate appraisal mechanism for orphan and ultra-orphan drugs;
	(2)  what powers he has to direct the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to (a) adapt existing and (b) adopt new appraisal mechanisms.

Simon Burns: We have no plans to ask the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) or the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS) to develop separate appraisal mechanisms to appraise orphan and ultra-orphan drugs.
	The vast majority of new drugs and significant licence extensions are considered through the topic selection process for NICE’s technology appraisal programme. If NICE considers that by undertaking an appraisal it would not be able to add value, then for high cost, low volume drugs for very rare conditions, NICE can send the technology to AGNSS for assessment for possible inclusion in the arrangements for national specialised commissioning.
	Under section 8 of the National Health Service Act 2006, the Secretary of State for Health can direct NICE as he deems necessary. However, Ministers are clear that NICE is an independent body and must be free to develop its own technology appraisal processes and methods.

NHS: Reorganisation

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has considered piloting his proposed NHS reforms in one or more geographical areas.

Simon Burns: The Government's proposals for modernising the national health service consist of several different, mutually-reinforcing policies, which it would not be possible to test together as a formal pilot scheme. However, in response to consultation on the NHS White Paper, we have set up a pathfinder programme for emerging general practitioner consortia, and invited early implementers to explore the development of health and well-being boards in local authorities. There are now pathfinder groups covering nearly 90% of the country, and 90% of local authorities have come forward to be early implementers. In addition, the changes are being phased carefully over four years, allowing time to plan, test and learn.
	In the meantime, we have announced a pause in the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, to engage further on our proposals with staff, patients and the public.

Nurses: Manpower

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the change in the number of qualified nursing jobs in the NHS to 2015.

Anne Milton: It is not possible to estimate the change in the number of qualified nursing jobs in the national health service to 2015. This will not be known until the new organisations that will underpin the new system have been designed in more detail.
	At present, it is the responsibility of local NHS organisations to plan and deliver a work force appropriate to the needs of their local population, based on clinical need and sound evidence.
	We are investing £11.5 billion extra in the NHS over the next four years, a sign of our commitment to protecting frontline services, but we also need to be more efficient and those efficiency savings will also be ploughed back into the frontline.

Pesticides: Poisoning

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the incidence of pesticide poisoning was per 100,000 population in each region in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many UK citizens were diagnosed with pesticide poisoning in each of the last 10 years.

Anne Milton: This information is not available. Data on the incidence or diagnosis of pesticide poisoning are not available for the United Kingdom or by region.

Prosthetics

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on all prosthetic treatment in 2009-10.

Paul Burstow: This information is not held centrally.
	Funding for prosthetic care and services is provided within the national health service budget and allocated through local determination by individual primary care trusts.

Surgery: Children

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether he has taken account of the potential travel times to children's heart surgery units in determining the number and location of such units;
	(2)  when he expects to publish the favoured reconfiguration option for children’s heart surgery units; and what processes will be gone through before he makes his decision.

Simon Burns: The “Safe and Sustainable” review of children’s heart services in England is being conducted by the NHS Specialised Commissioning Team. We have however, been following its progress.
	The Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT) has been established as the formal body to undertake the consultation on the “Safe and Sustainable” review and to take the decision on the best reconfiguration option after analysis of the review responses.
	A number of key criteria were taken into account when determining the options on number and location of children’s heart surgery units, which are currently out to consultation. These included travel times. The pre-consultation business case sets out details of the travel time analysis for all of the options. More information is at:
	www.specialisedservices.nhs.uk/library/30/Safe_and_ Sustainable_Review_of_Childrens_Congenital_Cardiac_ Services_in_England_Pre_Consultation_Business_Case_l.pdf
	No decision has yet been made on the number and locations of children’s heart surgery units. The proposed options for children’s heart surgery units are currently being consulted on. The consultation concludes on 1 July 2011 and includes a number of public consultation events across England and Wales as well as focused events with relevant professional associations.
	The JCPCT will consider an independent analysis of the consultation responses, reports from overview and scrutiny committees, and a health impact assessment. The JCPCT is expected to make a decision in the autumn of 2011 and this will be published shortly afterwards.

Surgery: Children

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts takes into account co-location capabilities in its consultation on the future of children's heart units.

Simon Burns: The ‘Safe and Sustainable’ review of children's heart services in England is being conducted by the NHS Specialised Commissioning Team. We have however been following its progress.
	Co-location capabilities will be taken into account by the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts in the consultation on the future of children's heart units.
	Sir Ian Kennedy and his panel assessed the units against a number of service standards which included consideration of co-location. His findings and recommendations, including those on the extent to which the units meet the co-location requirements, have been considered by the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts in its deliberations. Sir Ian's full report is in the public domain and is available on the NHS Specialised Services website at:
	www.specialisedservices.nhs.uk/safeandsustainable

Tattooing

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will 
	(1)  examine the (a) use of new tattoo removal products, including E-raze and (b) potential health effects of the use of such products; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  consider the merits of measures to control the use of tattoo removal products; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Health and Safety Executive has published information and advice for local authorities on tattoo removal by chemical methods, in Local Authority Circular 14/l(Micro-pigmentation, semi-permanent tattooing and semi-permanent make-up), a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
	Health and safety at work legislation applies to the use of such products, and we have no current plans to introduce additional measures to control their use.

Tattooing

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider the merits of offering free immunization against hepatitis B to workers in the tattooing and piercing industries; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Hepatitis B immunization is recommended by the Health and Safety Executive for individuals carrying out cosmetic piercing or tattooing because of the occupational risk of infection. The principle of immunizations required for occupational reasons not being provided free by the national health service for non-NHS workers, is well established, and we see no reason to make an exception in this case.

Tattooing

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider the merits of regulation of the sale of tattooing and body piercing equipment on auction websites; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: We have no current plans to introduce specific legislation to regulate the sale of tattooing or cosmetic piercing equipment.
	Tattooing and cosmetic piercing businesses are regulated by local authorities, which have powers to require them to be registered and observe local byelaws relating to cleanliness and hygienic practice. It is a criminal offence for such businesses to trade if they are not registered with the local authority or to breach local byelaws. Local authorities also have general enforcement powers relating to such businesses under health and safety at work legislation.
	Legislation relating to general product safety is relevant to sales of tattooing or cosmetic piercing equipment to the public.

Tobacco: Industry

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to ensure that organisations who engage with his Department on tobacco control which are linked to or receive funding from (a) the pharmaceutical industry and (b) the public purse disclose any links with or funding received from the tobacco industry.

Anne Milton: In March 2011, the Government published ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A tobacco control plan for England’. Chapter 10 of the plan sets out that:
	“In the future, organisations engaging with the Department of Health on tobacco control, for example by responding to consultation exercises, will be asked to disclose any links with, or funding received from, the tobacco industry.”
	A copy of the plan has already been placed in the Library.

UN Summit on Non-communicable Diseases

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will request that the Prime Minister attend the High Level UN Summit on Non-communicable Diseases on 19 to 20 September 2011.

Anne Milton: As with all United Nations General Assembly meetings, we will be deciding closer to the time how best to represent United Kingdom interests at the United Nations High Level meeting on non-communicable diseases. The decision on attendance will certainly take into account the importance the UK Government place on tackling the burden of non-communicable disease domestically and globally, as well as the need for efficient use of taxpayers' money in funding overseas trips.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

British Overseas Territories: Finance

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the criteria of poverty reduction, results and value for money were used to determine the budget line for the Overseas Territories in his Department's bilateral aid review.

Andrew Mitchell: The UK is obliged under the UN Charter to promote the well-being of the inhabitants of the Overseas Territories (OTs). The 2002 International Development Act exempts the Territories from the poverty criteria that apply to the rest of the aid budget. Successive White Papers on international development, including those produced since 1997, have committed the British Government to meeting the “reasonable needs” of the OTs as a first call on the aid budget.
	Rigorous results and value for money assessments form part of aid settlements that are agreed with OT governments requiring assistance from the British Government. Capital investments and technical co-operation programmes agreed with OT governments are subject to competition to ensure the best value for taxpayers. Commitments are monitored regularly. The Department for International Development (DFID) now uses Her Majesty's Treasury's business case model for all new investments. This further ensures that aid spent in the OTs is focused on clear results and value for money outcomes. Unlike DFID's country aid relationships, our support to the territories is not discretionary. The ultimate goal is to accelerate aid-dependent territories towards self-sufficiency.

Conflict Prevention: Finance

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department provided in funding to the Conflict Pool in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10.

Andrew Mitchell: The Conflict Pool’s resources are part of a separate HM Treasury settlement on conflict resources which is managed jointly by the Department for International Department (DFID), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Conflict funding for 2008/09 and 2009/10 was provided as part of the 2007 comprehensive spending review (CSR) settlement. In 2008/09 the Conflict Prevention Pool and the Stabilisation Aid Fund disbursed around £185 million. In 2009/10, the two funds were merged to create the Conflict Pool, which disbursed around £180 million.
	All three Departments can provide additional funds to the pool for specific purposes when required. In 2008/09, DFID provided £1.2 million to supplement specific Conflict Prevention Pool programmes in South Asia and Africa. In 2009/10, FCO, MOD and DFID together provided an additional £20 million for stabilisation activities in Helmand, of which DFID’s share was £11.5 million. All DFID contributions are subject to the rules governing official development assistance (ODA) spending laid down by the OECD’ Development Assistant Committee.

Developing Countries: Children in Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent (a) directly and (b) through multilateral agencies on reducing the use of large-scale institutional care for children in developing countries in the last five years;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to reduce the use of large-scale institutional care for children in developing countries in the last five years; and what plans he has to fund projects to prevent vulnerable children from being separated from their parents and entering large-scale institutional care.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not supported programmes with the specific aim of preventing children entering institutional care. However DFID is working with partner country governments, UN agencies and civil society to improve the lives of children in developing countries, protect vulnerable children from violence and abusive behaviour and enable poor families to care for their children. DFID is doing this through comprehensive health and education programmes, cash transfers and programmes to strengthen the capacity of governments and community-based organisations to care for vulnerable children. For example, DFID is supporting UNICEF programmes aimed at increasing family, community and government support for orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV and AIDS in southern Africa.
	DFID is strongly committed to working towards children achieving their full potential as expressed in the UN Convention on the rights of the child, which is a powerful tool for engaging on child rights and the millennium development goals.

Developing Countries: Food

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution his Department (a) has made to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme since 2009 and (b) plans to make to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme in each of the next four financial years.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not contributed to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme. Ministers are still considering whether providing funds for this programme would represent value for money and make a significant, additional contribution to our support for food and nutritional security in developing countries.

Development Education: Wales

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the delivery of development education and global learning in schools in Wales.

Andrew Mitchell: Officials from the Department for International Development (DFID) have regular discussions with officials from the Welsh Assembly Government on the delivery of development education and global learning in schools in Wales.
	DFID's support for programmes to raise awareness of international development, including for development education across the UK, is currently being reviewed. the outcomes of the review will be shared with the Welsh Assembly Government.

Development Education: Wales

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criteria he uses to determine the level of funding his Department provides for organisations that provide development education in England and Wales.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) development awareness activities, including development education programmes across the UK, are currently being reviewed.

Development Education: Wales

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what consultation his Department undertook before reaching its decision to end the core funding of Cyfanfyd in Wales.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) provided a grant to Cyfanfyd, the development education centre for Wales, from April 2006 to September 2010. Following a consultation in 2009-10, Cyfanfyd were informed in February 2010 that DFID could not guarantee further direct funding after that grant period ended. This was confirmed in August 2010. DFID's support for programmes to raise awareness of international development, including for development education across the UK, is currently being reviewed.

Ethiopia: Schools

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to his Department's bilateral aid review, what estimate he has made of the cost of putting 2 million children into school in Ethiopia by 2015.

Andrew Mitchell: It costs £20 per year to send one child to primary school in Ethiopia, so the total cost to put 2 million children into primary school will be £40 million per year.
	This represents extraordinary value for money. The low income country average equivalent figure is £60 per child per year, three times the cost in Ethiopia.
	As well as financing enrolment and completion of primary education in Ethiopia, the Department for International Development (DFID) is also supporting efforts to improve the quality of primary and secondary education, and to reduce inequities in access, both between girls and boys and geographical regions. To help keep children in school and improve their results, DFID will pilot innovative ‘results-based aid’, paying for results by giving a financial incentive for each additional girl and boy that sits and passes their grade 10 examinations.

International Assistance

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the outcomes were of the World Bank spring meetings held on 15 to 17 April; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: Discussions at the World Bank spring meetings focused on the Bank's work in fragile and conflict affected states and current events in the Middle East and North Africa. I am pleased that, at those meetings, the World Bank agreed to strengthen its support to the region, working with governments and relevant multilateral, regional and bilateral organisations. Governors endorsed the World Development Report on Conflict, Security and Development, and encouraged the Bank to incorporate lessons from the report into its policies and operations in order to improve performance in fragile states.
	The World Bank approach to energy was also discussed. In my statement to the World Bank Development Committee I emphasised the importance of the Bank's role to support the global climate change agenda, including by promoting renewable energy sources. I indicated that we would continue to work closely with the Bank on this agenda, which includes its forthcoming energy strategy.
	World Bank Governors also addressed ongoing concerns about food price volatility, the Bank's role as interim trustee of the Green Climate Fund, and the World Bank Group's strategic direction.

International Assistance

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department plans to allocate to the Central Emergency Relief Fund in each year to 2013.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) provided £40 million to the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) in December 2010, to cover the calendar year 2011. Further allocations for the calendar years 2012 and 2013 have not yet been finalised. This is being considered as part of DFID’s response to the Humanitarian and Emergency Response Review (HERR). I will make a statement to the House on my Department’s strategy during May 2011.

International Assistance

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he raised the issue of the World Bank's funding of fossil fuel projects at the World Bank spring meetings in April 2011.

Andrew Mitchell: In my statement to the World Bank Development Committee I emphasised the Bank’s role to support the global climate change agenda, including by promoting renewable energy sources. I indicated that we would continue to work closely with the Bank on this agenda, which includes its forthcoming energy strategy. My statement is available on the World Bank website at:
	http://archive.iwlearn.net/web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DEVCOMMEXT/0,,menuPK_60001657_ pagePK_64001141_piPK_64001176_theSitePK_277473,00.html.tmp
	The Department for International Development (DFID) has actively engaged with the World Bank as it has developed its energy strategy. DFID has strongly supported the World Bank ambition to increase lending for clean energy and the Bank's shift away from lending for coal fired power stations.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of applications received for the International Citizen Service were from people on low incomes.

Andrew Mitchell: International Citizen Service is a new scheme. The pilot phase opened for applications on 9 March 2011. The agencies implementing the pilot are in the process of analysing the early application data, including information collected on the household income of applicants. This will be made publically available in due course.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many applications his Department has received for the International Citizens Service to date.

Andrew Mitchell: As of 31 March 2011, International Citizens Service had received 814 applications.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Absent Voting: Fraud

Michael Fallon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to minimise fraud in postal voting for the 2011 elections and referendum; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: Postal voters at the polls being held on 5 May 2011 will have been required to provide their signature and date of birth as personal identifiers when they applied for a postal vote. The personal identifiers must be replicated by postal voters when they cast their postal vote, and they will be cross-checked with the original samples to ensure votes are valid. Legislation requires returning officers and counting officers to undertake a minimum of 20% verification of personal identifiers of postal votes which are returned. For the specific purposes of the referendum on the voting system, the chief counting officer has directed that counting officers will check the personal identifiers on 100% of postal votes.
	The Electoral Commission, in conjunction with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, has issued guidance to minimise the potential for malpractice in the electoral process.
	The Electoral Commission has led work with police forces, political parties and returning officers to raise awareness of integrity issues and strengthen systems to ensure that fraud is detected and prosecuted and to draw attention to existing good practice. There is evidence of effective working between returning officers and local police at recent elections with the police engaged on election issues and committed to the detection of electoral fraud. This approach is continuing for the polls taking place on 5 May.
	The Government will continue to keep procedures under review to ensure that the electoral process is secure.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Further Education: Learning Disability

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Young People's Learning Agency and (b) Skills Funding Agency on monitoring and assessing the quality of further education provision for people (i) with learning disabilities and (ii) with profound and multiple learning disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: The Young People's Learning Agency and Skills Funding Agency secure the provision of financial resources for education and training for learners above compulsory school age in further education colleges, training organisations, school sixth forms, and academies. Both agencies set conditions of funding, which include minimum levels of performance, assessments of financial health and control and satisfactory Ofsted inspection outcomes.
	The arrangements for monitoring and assessing the quality of further education (FE) provision for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are the same as for other learners. Arrangements to meet the needs of learners, whatever they might be, mean that the specific requirements of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are considered and met.
	In February 2011 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published a report entitled ‘National Learner Satisfaction Survey: FE Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities’.
	This report showed that learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in FE express high levels of satisfaction with their learning experience, with 90% satisfied—this is comparable with other learners (91%). However, learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are more likely to be extremely satisfied (21 compared with 18%). Three-quarters of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (75%) would speak highly of their provider. They are significantly more likely than other learners to say they would do so without being asked (32 compared with 29%).

Hair Extensions

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether measures are in place to ensure that hair used for hair extensions in the UK does not come from disabled people in foreign countries who have not given consent.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 28 April 2011
	The UK has no controls on the import of human hair and currently has no plans to introduce any.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 29 March 2011, Official Report, column 306W, on local enterprise partnerships (LEPs), what the role of LEPs is in skills and training issues.

John Hayes: Local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) are part of the power shift away from central Government and towards local communities in promoting business and driving local growth. As we said in the White Paper for local growth, the Government do not intend to define LEPs in legislation. We envisage that LEPs could take on a diverse range of roles including private sector job creation and establishing skills and training priorities. Partnerships will differ across the country in both form and functions in order to best meet local circumstances and opportunities. We have not prescribed the leadership roles for LEPs on skills or any other activity to support growth in the local economy.
	A key reform of the skills system is the Government's commitment to freeing colleges and training organisations from central bureaucracy so they can determine the training offer which responds directly to what learners and employers want. Colleges and training organisations will be encouraged to form self-organised networks to engage more easily with LEPs on skills priorities and how they can best be delivered. In turn, we will encourage LEPs to develop effective working relationships with the further and higher education sector to agree, for instance, how to generate the demand for agreed priorities locally.

Misrepresentation

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what regulations or rules govern the use of the words ‘parliament' or ‘parliamentary' in the name or title of non-parliamentary charities, companies and organisations.

Edward Davey: The words 'parliament' and 'parliamentary' are specified in the Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business Names (Sensitive Words and Expressions) Regulations 2009. The prior approval of the Secretary of State is required before the registration of a company or limited liability partnership in a name that includes either word and before any person, whether or not incorporated, carries on business in the UK under such a name. Before seeking approval, the applicant is required to request both the Corporate Officer of the House of Commons and the Corporate Officer of the House of Lords to indicate whether (and if so why) it has any objections to the proposed name. The application for approval must be accompanied by a statement that the required request for views has been made and a copy of any response.

Shareholders

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to promote the pursuit of enlightened shareholder value by institutional investors;
	(2)  whether he has any plans to make use of the powers under section 1277 of the Companies Act 2006 to introduce mandatory voting disclosure for institutional investors;
	(3)  if he will bring forward legislative proposals for provisions for institutional investors comparable to the duties of company directors under section 172 of the Companies Act 2006;
	(4)  what his policy is on the fiduciary responsibilities of (a) asset managers, (b) investment consultants and (c) insurance companies in pension provision.

Edward Davey: Following the call for evidence, ‘A Long-Term Focus for Corporate Britain,’ the Government are considering a wide range of measures and will publish the next steps in the summer.

Shareholders

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the case for a cross-departmental review of the fiduciary obligations of institutional investors.

Edward Davey: Although BIS Ministers have not held any discussions with ministerial colleagues on institutional investors’ fiduciary obligations, the Government believe it is important that these obligations are fully understood. Officials from this Department have met officials from other Government Departments to discuss these issues and are considering a range of options.

Students: Finance

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what budget was allocated to communicating student finance arrangements to prospective students in each year from 1999-2000 to 2010-11.

David Willetts: An annual breakdown of expenditure on communicating student finance arrangements, including to prospective students, from 1999-2000 to 2010-11 are provided in the following table. As records are only required to be kept for seven years, not all data are available.
	The Student Loans Company was also allocated part of the Department’s publicity budget to provide some technical information to students and from 2009/10 responsibility for providing information to students was delegated to the Student Loans Company. A breakdown of the allocation made by the Student Loans Company is also provided in the table.
	The Department considers it essential to ensure that prospective students and their families know about the full package of support available, to support access to higher education. This Department is working with the Central Office of Information to develop an effective and proportionate information campaign.
	We have appointed an advertising agency to support this campaign and expect their costs to be in the region of £150,000, including their charges for production of press and online advertisements. The budget for chosen media is yet to be determined.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Financial year Department for Business, Innovation and Skills student finance publicity budget Student Loans Company communications budget 
			 1999-2000 (1)— (1)— 
			 2000-01 90,000 (1)— 
			 2001-02 1,660,000 (1)— 
			 2002-03 2,025,000 (1)— 
			 2003-04 4,000,000 (1)— 
			 2004-05 2,000,000 280,598 
			 2005-06 4,500,000 1,483,900 
			 2006-07 4,100,000 1,097,092 
			 2007-08 4,500,000 3,288,351 
			 2008-09 4,000,000 2,851,560 
			 2009-10 60,000 5,263,030 
			 2010-11 150,000 1,650,243 
			 (1) Data not available.

Unionlearn

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2011, Official Report, columns 720-22W, on trade unions: training, if he will publish a detailed breakdown on how all funding from the public purse has been spent by the union learning fund and unionlearn in each year since 2007-08.

John Hayes: holding answer 28 April 2011
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) provides funding directly to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) under an annual grant agreement to support the Union Learning Fund (ULF) and unionlearn, the TUC's learning and skills organisation. The main purpose of this budget is to enable trade unions and Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) to work with employers, employees and learning providers to encourage greater take up of learning and raise skill levels in the workplace.
	A detailed breakdown of the direct grant funding that was allocated by BIS and its predecessor Departments for each of the last three financial years is set out in the following table. Final details for the 2010-11 financial year will not be available until June 2011. The TUC also publishes an annual report for unionlearn which sets out in more detail how the funding has been used each year. The reports for 2008, 2009 and 2010 are available on the TUC's unionlearn website:
	http://www.unionlearn.org.uk/publications/index.cfm
	
		
			 £ 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Total staffing costs (including on costs) 3,777,263 4,495,536 4,850,137 
			 Administration, accommodation and overheads 1,251,187 1,434,463 1,536,548 
			 Union Learning Fund (grants to unions for ULF projects) 13,371,550 15,470,001 15,113,315 
			 Total unionlearn grant funding 18,400,000 21,400,000 21,500,000 
		
	
	The TUC has also received funding to support unionlearn activity at a regional level from the Skills Funding Agency (formerly the Learning and Skills Council) and a number of regional development agencies all of which received grant funding from BIS's predecessor Departments. Detailed information relating to such expenditure will be held at a regional level for audit purposes but is not recorded centrally. An exercise to research and collate such information for each SFA region and RDA would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

Unionlearn

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2011, Official Report, columns 720-22W, on trade unions: training, under what budget headings Union Learn spent funding provided by (a) the Union Learning Fund, (b) the Skills Funding Council, (c) the Learning and Skills Council, (d) the European Social Fund and (e) regional development agencies.

John Hayes: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) provides funding directly to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) under an annual grant agreement to support the Union Learning Fund (ULF) and unionlearn, the TUC’s learning and skills organisation. The main purpose of this budget is to enable trade unions and union learning representatives (ULRs) to work with employers, employees and learning providers to encourage greater take-up of learning and raise skill levels in the workplace.
	The budget headings under which this grant is provided by the Department, and under which spending is monitored on a monthly basis, are as follows:
	Staffing and On Costs,
	Other Staff Related Costs,
	General Running Costs,
	Accommodation and Overheads,
	Trade Union Education Support and
	ULF (Grants to Unions).
	All projects supported under ULF are considered in a competitive bidding process by the Union Learning Fund Assessment Panel, comprising representatives from the Department, the TUC and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). Each project has a separate contract with the TUC with defined learning targets and budget headings that are linked to project strands and the outcomes of that particular project. Funding is only provided in arrears and on production of evidence of spend against plans by way of invoices and proof of purchase/payment and trade unions code the money in such a way that it is separately identifiable for audit purposes. Information on the budget headings for every project that is supported under ULF is not held centrally by the Department and collating this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The TUC has also received funding to support unionlearn activity at a regional level from the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) (formerly the Learning and Skills Council), the European social fund (ESF) and a number of regional development agencies (RDA). Detailed information on the specific budget headings relating to such expenditure will be held at a regional level for audit purposes but is not recorded centrally. An exercise to research and collate such information for each SFA region and RDA would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Advertising

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the name is of each public information advertising campaign run by his Department in 2010-11; and how much it has spent on (a) press and (b) television advertising for each campaign.

Chris Grayling: In 2010-11 there were no public information advertising campaigns run by DWP.

Departmental Communication

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking in its communications to provide for people who are unable to read printed text but can read via e-mail with the assistance of computer software.

Chris Grayling: The Department does not regularly supply customer communications via e-mail.
	We are committed to improving the accessibility of our websites. Most of these are built to meet the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (version 1.0) at Level AA, in line with Cabinet Office guidance, and are therefore compatible with assistive technologies.
	The Department provides customer information about benefits, pensions and finding a job on the Directgov website. The Directgov website complies with Level AA of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
	The Department’s consultation and policy documents that are of particular interest to people with disabilities are also available in alternative formats (for example British Sign Language (BSL) video and Rich Text Format files preferred by some screen reader users). Some of these documents can be accessed directly through the Department’s website.
	Most of the Department’s website meets Level AA of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. We state the areas of the website that do not currently meet Level AA in the Accessibility Policy:
	www.dwp.gov.uk/accessibility/accessibility-policy
	and we are working to improve these.

Departmental Manpower

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what public sector job reduction targets have been set for his Department and its non-departmental public bodies for each of the next 24 months; and what steps he plans to take to meet such targets.

Chris Grayling: The 2010 spending review was a financial settlement which set the departmental budgets for 2011-12 to 2014-15. No targets were set on job reductions as part of that settlement.
	However, the financial settlement will necessitate a reduced level of staffing for the Department in the future. The Department will achieve this reduction through strict control of recruitment; the redeployment of surplus staff where feasible; managing the cessation of fixed term appointment contracts and through natural turnover of staff. Where required, and there is no feasible alternative, the use of early release schemes will be considered.

Departmental Official Cars

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date (a) he and (b) each other Minister in his Department last used a ministerial car while travelling in an official capacity; and how many times (i) he and (ii) each other Minister in his Department has travelled to their constituency in a ministerial car since May 2010.

Chris Grayling: For security reasons, the Department prefers not to give details of individual ministerial journeys.
	Nevertheless, in a typical week members of the ministerial team do make regular use of the ministerial car service to travel in an official capacity.
	As of 5 April, the Secretary of State, the Minister for Employment and the Minister for Pensions last used the ministerial car service on 4 April.
	As of 5 April, the Minister for Welfare Reform last used the service on 1 April and the Minister for Disabled People on 5 April.
	Section 10 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements

Disability

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of staff in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies was registered disabled in each of the last five years.

Chris Grayling: The information is contained in the following table.
	The table sets out information about the numbers of staff who have declared themselves to be disabled. Whilst the department encourages staff to make a declaration, declaration is voluntary.
	We are aware that not all disabled staff do declare that they consider themselves to be disabled, and the true figure may be higher than the figures shown. For example, the 2010 DWP Staff survey (which is completed anonymously), showed that 11.2% of respondents considered themselves to have a long standing health condition or disability. According to the latest figures provided (December 2010), 6.5% of the workforce have declared themselves to be disabled.
	
		
			 Date Department/agency Percentage disabled 
			 December 2010 DWP total 6.5 
			  Job Centre Plus 7.0 
			  Pension, Disability and Carers Service 5.3 
			 March 2010 DWP total 6.3 
			  Job Centre Plus 6.8 
			  Pension, Disability and Carers Service 5.1 
			 2009 DWP total 6.1 
			  Job Centre Plus 6.7 
			  The Pension Service 4.0 
			  Disability and Carers Service 6.2 
			 2008 DWP total 5.7 
			  Job Centre Plus 6.7 
			  The Pension Service 3.7 
			  Disability and Carers Service 6.1 
			  Child Support Agency 3.4 
			 2007 DWP total 5.5 
			  Job Centre Plus 6.4 
			  The Pension Service 3.4 
			  Disability and Carers Service 5.9 
			  Child Support Agency 3.4 
			 2006 DWP total 5.2 
			  Job Centre Plus 6.4 
			  The Pension Service 3.7 
			  Disability and Carers Service 5.5 
			  Child Support Agency 2.7 
			 Notes: The figures exclude all staff who have not declared their disability status.

Employers' Liability Insurance

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2011, Official Report, column 965W, on employers’ liability insurance, on what date he plans to publish his proposals.

Chris Grayling: I appreciate that the Government’s response to the consultation is taking longer to publish than we had hoped for. However the issues raised are complex and to ensure we get this right we have been in active discussions with all stakeholders since the public consultation closed in May 2010. We are still carefully considering how to progress the matter to achieve an appropriate outcome and we will bring forward our proposals in due course.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate has been made of the number of recipients of contributory employment and support allowance in the work-related activity group (a) with and (b) without one year time-limiting in force in each financial year from 2011-12 to 2015-16;
	(2)  what estimate has been made of the proportion of contributory employment and support allowance recipients in the work-related activity group who will be affected by a one-year time limit.

Chris Grayling: As part of the Welfare Reform Bill, we have set out our intention to introduce a time limit of one year for those claiming contributory employment and support allowance (ESA) and who are placed in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG).
	The following table shows the estimated future recipients of contributory ESA in the Work Related Activity Group and Assessment Phase with and without time-limiting in force. Assessment Phase cases have been included as the legislation intends for them to be eligible for time-limiting if their duration on contributory ESA is 12 months or more. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 50,000 claimants and are based on Budget 2011 forecasts.
	
		
			 Contributory ESA caseload in the WRAG/Assessment Phase With time limiting in force Without time limiting in force 
			 2011-12 400,000 400,000 
			 2012-13 350,000 600,000 
			 2013-14 400,000 800,000 
			 2014-15 350,000 900,000 
			 2015-16 200,000 900,000 
		
	
	The legislation intends for all recipients of contributory ESA in the WRAG to be eligible for time-limiting after 12 months. It is estimated that in steady state, without time-limiting, around 77% of contributory ESA claimants in the Work Related Activity Group or Assessment Phase would have a duration of 12 months or more. However, latest estimates suggest that of those affected by the proposal to time limit contributory ESA, around 60% are expected to be fully or partially compensated by income-related ESA, so will retain entitlement to ESA.
	More information is available in the ESA Time-Limiting Impact Assessment published on the Department for Work and Pensions website, at the following link:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/welfare-reform/legislation-and-key-documents/welfare-reform-bill-2011/index.shtml#ia

Employment Schemes: Scotland

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the subcontractors to the prime contractors for the Work Programme in Scotland; which such subcontractors operate in the (a) private and (b) voluntary sector; which are defined as small and medium-sized enterprises; and what proportion of each prime contract each subcontract represents.

Chris Grayling: The Department have encouraged and facilitated the Work Programme bidders to engage with voluntary organisations as partners or sub-contractors to deliver the Work Programme. The Work Programme will provide significant opportunities for partnership and collaboration for the voluntary and community sector.
	To deliver the overall provision prime contractors will need to underpin delivery by the use of sub-contractors to ensure the individual needs of all customers are met at local level.
	As contracts have not yet been awarded I am unable to provide further details at this time.
	It is not within the Department's remit to specify the composition of the preferred bidders' supply chain prior to contract award. Post tender discussions are currently under way with preferred bidders and contracts have not yet been awarded.
	Further details on the bids and the nature of the contracts will be published post contract award; this may also include additional information regarding the prime providers’ supply chain.

Employment Schemes: Scotland

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what involvement the Scottish Government has had in the design and delivery of the Work Programme to address issues specific to Scotland.

Chris Grayling: The Government have established a Scottish Employability Forum (SEF), jointly Chaired by the Jobcentre Plus Customer Service Delivery and the Scottish Government Director for Life Long Learning.
	It is attended by senior representatives of Jobcentre Plus, the Scottish Government, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and other strategic partners, to provide an infrastructure for strategic level discussion and consultation. The SEF is underpinned by the National Delivery Group (its operational arm). This allowed for the Scottish Government, working with Jobcentre Plus and DWP, to have direct input into the development of the Work Programme in Scotland.

Employment Schemes: Voluntary Organisations

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the compatibility with the provisions of EU competition law of setting a requirement in tender criteria for the Work Programme that 30 per cent. of contracts should be awarded to the voluntary sector.

Chris Grayling: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) did not specify a minimum level of third sector/not for profit participation in the delivery of the Work Programme in the tender criteria, but we did provide information on the current provision and the levels of third sector involvement.

Employment Schemes: Voluntary Organisations

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanism he proposes to use to ensure that at least 30 per cent. of contracts awarded through the Work Programme are directed to companies operating on a not-for-profit basis.

Chris Grayling: EU procurement regulations preclude us from favouring any sector or being able to stipulate quotas for particular groups, either for prime provider bids or within the bidders’ delivery chain. However, throughout the procurement process DWP has encouraged bidders to engage with the voluntary and community sector.
	As part of the evaluation Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) closely scrutinised each bidder’s partnership proposals within their tenders, particularly when considering the supply chain and service requirement criteria, to ensure that the level of community and voluntary sector involvement is commensurate with the needs of Work Programme customers.

Employment Schemes: Voluntary Organisations

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the tender criteria for the award of Work Programme contracts contained an explicit requirement that a minimum percentage of contracts should be awarded to the voluntary sector; and whether the successful tenders in Scotland fulfilled this criterion.

Chris Grayling: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) did not specify a minimum level of third sector/not for profit participation in the delivery of the Work Programme in the tender criteria, but we did provide information on the current provision and the levels of third sector involvement.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households that will be subject to the total cap on benefit entitlement which live in (a) private rented accommodation, (b) private accommodation obtained by a local authority under prevention and relief of homelessness duties, (c) temporary accommodation, (d) social rented accommodation, (e) owner-occupied accommodation and (f) other forms of accommodation.

Steve Webb: If the benefit cap is applied in full it is estimated that around 70% of those affected will be living in social housing.
	This estimated number of households affected by the benefit cap is based on survey data using the Department for Work and Pension's Policy Simulation Model. Sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results for other sub groups of those affected by the benefit cap.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether bedroom size will be taken into account when determining whether to apply a reduction in housing benefit to social tenants judged to be under-occupying a property.

Steve Webb: We intend that the minimum size of a room in order to be counted as a bedroom within a property will be determined in a way that is consistent with standards set by the Department for Communities and Local Government, the devolved Administrations and relevant regulatory bodies. This will be established as part of the implementation process.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the number of bedrooms in a property will be calculated in order to apply any reduction in housing benefit for social tenants determined as under-occupying a property, including how dining rooms, box rooms and living areas are to be distinguished from bedrooms.

Steve Webb: We intend that the number of bedrooms within a property will be determined in a way that is consistent with standards set by the Department for Communities and Local Government, the devolved Administrations and relevant regulatory bodies. This will be established as part of the implementation process.

Incapacity Benefit

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants were in receipt of (a) incapacity benefit only, (b) incapacity benefit in combination with any other benefit, broken down by type of benefit, (c) any single benefit other than incapacity benefit, broken down by type of benefit and (d) any combination of benefits, other than those involving incapacity benefit, broken down by type of combination in each of the last five years; and what the average weekly level of benefit received by a claimant was in each category in each such year.

Chris Grayling: Information on the average weekly amounts in payment for benefit combinations can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The other information requested is given in the following table.
	
		
			 Client group all ages caseload: Benefit combination at the dates shown. Great Britain and abroad 
			 Thousand 
			  August 2006 August 2007 August 2008 August 2009 August 2010 
			 Total 17,524.35 17,613.04 17,886.19 18,802.96 18,821.60 
			 SP only 7,842.67 8,008.84 8,178.33 8,359.15 8,496.83 
			 SP and PC/IS 1,207.06 1,170.17 1,127.76 1,102.53 1,083.67 
			 JSA only 882.55 770.9 848.69 1,454.71 1,315.74 
			 IB only 757.13 717.04 671.44 498.35 414.25 
			 SP and AA 808.4 828.68 858.81 895.8 918.62 
			 IS/PC only 898.34 890.47 877.19 854.37 810.68 
			 IS/PC, SP and AA 737.63 741.49 738.48 735.68 726.39 
			 DLA only 615.66 647.58 678.24 702.24 735.93 
			 IS/PC and IB 622.01 606.51 587.13 467.65 397.2 
			 IB and DLA 532.82 537.44 539.83 514.18 480.26 
			 SP and DLA 473.26 494.21 514.19 533.32 546.4 
			 IS/PC, IB and DLA 485.91 505.03 525.46 525.17 508.7 
			 IS/PC, SP and DLA 306.92 325.32 342.41 360.31 373.76 
			 CA only 272.53 275.93 287.73 297.65 311.23 
			 IS/PC, DLA and SDA 182.6 177.88 172.49 167.15 162.23 
			 IS/PC and CA 140.46 144.55 151.58 166.03 183.34 
			 CA and SP 132.18 142.27 152.07 159.57 161.34 
			 WB only 91.26 73.98 59.34 47.35 39.91 
			 DLA, SDA 62.75 57.74 53.49 49.76 46.51 
			 IS/PC, CA and SP 67.63 73.21 78.68 81.71 83.32 
			 SDA only 9.34 8.3 7.45 6.71 6.08 
			 SDA and IS/PC 15.58 13.64 12.07 10.78 9.72 
			 ESA (1)— (1)— (1)— 304.18 418.32 
			 ESA and DLA (1)— (1)— (1)— 62.12 134.78 
			 Other combination 379.65 401.86 423.32 446.46 456.4 
			 (1) Nil or negligible. Notes: 1. Benefits included are jobseeker's allowance (JSA), income support (IS), pension credit (PC), incapacity benefit (IB), severe disablement allowance (SDA), disability living allowance (DLA) (from May 2002), carer's allowance (CA), bereavement benefit (BB)/widow's benefit (WB), state pension, attendance allowance and national insurance credits only (through JSA or IB). 2. Figures are shown in thousands and rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Employment and support allowance (ESA). ESA replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. 4. Caseload data are available on the Department's tabulation tool at: http://83.244.183.180/100pc/tabtool.html Source:  DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Incapacity Benefit

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on incapacity benefit in (a) each region of England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The information is in the table.
	
		
			 Incapacity benefit expenditure by region, 2009-10 
			  £ million 
			 North East 395 
			 North West 948 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 568 
			 East Midlands 456 
			 West Midlands 578 
			 East 423 
			 London 491 
			 South East 537 
			 South West 451 
			 Wales 513 
			 Scotland 705 
			 Unknown 44 
			 Total 6,108 
			 Source: DWP statistical and accounting data. 
		
	
	Regional benefit expenditure data is published at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/la_expenditure.xls

Jobcentre Plus: Social Workers

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many unfilled senior care worker posts are listed at Jobcentre Plus.

Chris Grayling: National statistics on unfilled vacancies held by Jobcentre Plus are published monthly on the NOMIS labour market statistics portal
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	There are two types of unfilled vacancy data available, total unfilled and live unfilled, and these can be broken down by occupation using the 2000 version of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 2000). The latest data available are for March 2011.
	The lowest-level occupational data available on NOMIS are for care assistants and home carers (SOC code 6115). This includes senior care workers, as well as domiciliary care workers, home carers, personal carers, carers (welfare services) and caseworkers (welfare services). The Jobcentre Plus unfilled vacancy data available on NOMIS cannot be broken down any further to identify unfilled vacancies for senior care workers only.
	In March 2011, Jobcentre Plus held 42,787 unfilled vacancies for care assistants and home carers. This includes all unfilled vacancies held by Jobcentre Plus including vacancies which have been suspended pending closure, and as such are not available to jobseekers.
	The live unfilled vacancies data therefore provide a better reflection of the number of vacancies available to jobseekers. In March 2011, Jobcentre Plus held 30,272 live unfilled vacancies for care assistants and home carers, which includes live unfilled vacancies for senior care workers.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseekers who missed interview sessions were contacted by jobcentre staff to prompt their attendance during the Newcastle jobcentre pilot project in 2010; and how many of these (a) lost their benefit and (b) were paid benefit.

Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Matthew Nicholas
	The Secretary of State has asked Darra Singh to reply to your question concerning how many jobseekers who missed interview sessions were contacted by jobcentre staff to prompt their attendance during the Newcastle jobcentre pilot project in 2010; and how many of these (a) lost their benefit and (b) were paid benefit. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to Darra Singh as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. As Darra Singh is currently on annual leave, I am replying in his absence.
	In June of 2010, Newcastle-Under-Lyme Jobcentre conducted a short trial during which they tried to contact by telephone jobseekers who had missed a mandatory appointment. Jobseekers were asked to attend the Jobcentre for their appointment the same day to help avoid any potential loss of benefit. The trial was carried out for a period of six weeks. Early evaluation showed that the number of successful calls was very low and the trial was discontinued. No records were kept about the number of jobseekers who lost or were paid benefit as a result of these telephone calls.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets are set for jobcentre staff in respect of referring jobseekers for sanctions; what criteria are used; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Matthew Nicholas
	The Secretary of State for Work and for Pensions has asked Darra Singh to reply to your question asking what targets are set for jobcentre staff in respect of referring jobseekers for sanctions; and what criteria are used. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to Darra Singh as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. As Darra Singh is currently on annual leave, I am replying in his absence.
	I can confirm that no such targets exist and that we have reinforced this message to our District Managers. Sanctions should only be made where people have not adhered to their jobseeker obligations.
	I hope this information is helpful.

Jobseeker's Allowance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many payments for jobseeker’s allowance were terminated (a) as a result of employment and (b) for other reasons in (i) each London borough and (ii) the UK in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated May 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking; how many payments for jobseeker’s allowance were terminated (a) as a result of employment and (b) for other reasons in (i) each London borough and (ii) the UK in each of the last five years. 53387
	The tables show a breakdown of the destination of off-flows from Job Seeker’s Allowance recorded by Jobcentre Plus in each year since January to December 2006.
	A copy of these tables will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
	This information comes from a form completed by Jobcentre Plus employees when terminating a claim. Although effort is made to complete the termination as accurately as possible for each claim, there is a significant proportion where the reason is not specific: such as ceased claiming, not known and failed to sign.
	
		
			 Table 1  : Destination of off-flows from jobseeker’s allowance for each London borough and the UK from   January 2006   to December 200  6 
			  Into paid employment  (1) Other specified reasons Not known  (2) Total 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,535 2,345 4,805 9,685 
			 Barnet 3,820 2,625 7,290 13,735 
			 Bexley 2,725 1,425 3,380 7,530 
			 Brent 3,975 2,590 9,080 15,645 
			 Bromley 3,235 1,580 5,165 9,980 
			 Camden 2,545 2,635 5,515 10,695 
			 City of London 40 45 70 155 
			 Croydon 4,035 2,605 9,970 16,610 
			 Ealing 3,945 3,355 7,780 15,080 
			 Enfield 3,465 2,900 8,225 14,590 
			 Greenwich 3,795 2,865 6,505 13,165 
			 Hackney 3,170 3,650 8,550 15,370 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,085 2,245 4,360 8,695 
			 Haringey 3,680 2,840 9,130 15,650 
			 Harrow 2,365 1,580 4,825 8,770 
			 Havering 2,715 1,480 3,445 7,640 
			 Hillingdon 3,050 1,900 5,130 10,085 
			 Hounslow 3,175 2,205 5,635 11,010 
			 Islington 2,545 3,065 6,435 12,045 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,280 1,465 2,490 5,235 
			 Kingston upon Thames 1,425 755 2,355 4,535 
			 Lambeth 4,185 4,020 12,120 20,330 
			 Lewisham 4,045 3,305 8,590 15,945 
			 Merton 2,240 1,280 4,310 7,835 
			 Newham 3,865 3,985 8,460 16,310 
			 Redbridge 2,725 2,270 5,830 10,825 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1,485 745 2,410 4,640 
			 Southwark 3,995 2,695 10,325 17,015 
			 Sutton 2,010 1,045 3,085 6,140 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,925 2,970 7,385 14,280 
			 Waltham Forest 3,130 3,100 6,355 12,585 
			 Wandsworth 3,065 2,210 5,505 10,780 
			 Westminster 1,985 2,225 4,775 8,985 
			 United Kingdom 983,505 513,440 1,041,660 2,538,605 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Destination of off-flows from jobseeker’s allowance for each London borough and the UK from January 2007 to December 2007 
			  Into paid employment  (1) Other specified reasons Not known  (2) Total 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,570 2,500 5,205 10,275 
			 Barnet 3,345 2,730 6,650 12,725 
		
	
	
		
			 Bexley 2,545 1,555 3,755 7,855 
			 Brent 4,195 2,880 9,025 16,100 
			 Bromley 3,040 1,900 4,740 9,680 
			 Camden 2,520 2,980 5,400 10,900 
			 City of London 45 50 95 185 
			 Croydon 4,275 3,320 8,935 16,530 
			 Ealing 3,620 3,535 7,305 14,465 
			 Enfield 3,515 3,370 9,345 16,230 
			 Greenwich 3,840 3,135 6,775 13,750 
			 Hackney 3,550 4,530' 9,110 17,190 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,255 2,585 4,305 9,145 
			 Haringey 3,910 3,220 10,160 17,290 
			 Harrow 2,285 1,675 4,385 8,345 
			 Havering 2,600 1,505 3,545 7,650 
			 Hillingdon 2,810 2,025 5,210 10,050 
			 Hounslow 2,920 2,240 5,835 10,990 
			 Islington 2,640 3,430 6,295 12,365 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,305 1,545 2,635 5,485 
			 Kingston upon Thames 1,325 720 2,055 4,100 
			 Lambeth 3,865 4,345 10,670 18,880 
			 Lewisham 3,935 3,835 8,860 16,630 
			 Merton 2,165 1,565 3,890 7,620 
			 Newham 4,230 4,490 9,470 18,185 
			 Redbridge 2,445 2,445 6,615 11,505 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1,450 805 2,175 4,430 
			 Southwark 4,345 2,555 9,820 16,720 
			 Sutton 1,790 1,060 2,740 5,595 
			 Tower Hamlets 4,035 3,605 8,515 16,155 
			 Waltham Forest 3,285 3,620 7,640 14,540 
			 Wandsworth 2,685 2,260 6,165 11,110 
			 Westminster 1,980 2,480 4,175 8,635 
			 United Kingdom 955,120 571,790 1,091,420 2,618,330 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3  : Destination of off-flows from jobseeker’s allowance for each London borough and the UK from   January 2008   to December 200  8 
			  Into paid employment  (1) Other specified reasons Not known  (2) Total 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,370 2,255 5,380 10,005 
			 Barnet 3,175 2,340 6,365 11,880 
			 Bexley 2,380 1,385 3,550 7,320 
			 Brent 3,870 2,460 9,135 15,465 
			 Bromley 3,015 1,805 4,195 9,015 
			 Camden 2,290 2,385 5,120 9,790 
			 City of London 30 40 85 155 
			 Croydon 4,200 3,250 8,460 15,910 
			 Ealing 3,565 3,650 7,235 14,450 
			 Enfield 3,435 3,205 8,100 14,735 
			 Greenwich 3,440 2,835 6,260 12,530 
			 Hackney 3,585 4,905 8,355 16,845 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,190 2,265 4,505 8,955 
			 Haringey 3,740 2,850 8,685 15,275 
			 Harrow 2,165 1,480 4,300 7,950 
			 Havering 2,710 1,660 3,775 8,140 
		
	
	
		
			 Hillingdon 2,535 1,770 5,420 9,725 
			 Hounslow 2,690 2,150 5,645 10,485 
			 Islington 2,655 3,075 6,015 11,750 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,240 1,390 2,670 5,305 
			 Kingston upon Thames 1,275 725 2,135 4,135 
			 Lambeth 3,705 4,255 9,850 17,810 
			 Lewisham 3,695 3,510 9,005 16,210 
			 Merton 1,835 1,410 3,440 6,680 
			 Newham 3,865 4,215 8,645 16,725 
			 Redbridge 2,610 2,530 6,520 11,660 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1,320 730 1,990 4,040 
			 Southwark 3,865 2,260 8,705 14,830 
			 Sutton 1,840 1,010 2,865 5,720 
			 Tower Hamlets 4,085 3,350 8,675 16,110 
			 Waltham Forest 3,240 3,260 7,885 14,385 
			 Wandsworth 2,435 2,105 5,655 10,195 
			 Westminster 1,845 2,460 4,350 8,650 
			 United Kingdom 938,725 569,105 1,109,925 2,617,755 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 4  : Destination of off-flows from jobseeker’s allowance for each London borough and the UK from   January 2009   to December 200  9 
			  Into paid employment  (1) Other specified reasons Not known  (2) Total 
			 Barking and Dagenham 3,180 2,675 7,925 13,780 
			 Barnet 4,930 3,385 10,355 18,670 
			 Bexley 4,305 2,125 6,240 12,670 
			 Brent 5,245 3,395 12,535 21,170 
			 Bromley 4,935 2,555 7,415 14,905 
			 Camden 3,235 2,765 7,270 13,270 
			 City of London 60 45 115 220 
			 Croydon 6,220 4,200 12,430 22,850 
			 Ealing 4,955 4,605 10,190 19,750 
			 Enfield 4,710 4,390 11,250 20,350 
			 Greenwich 4,935 3,640 9,845 18,415 
			 Hackney 4,950 5,560 11,395 21,900 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,155 2,730 6,275 12,155 
			 Haringey 4,440 3,535 11,395 19,370 
			 Harrow 3,240 2,240 6,700 12,180 
			 Havering 4,425 2,240" 6,950 13,610 
			 Hillingdon 3,735 2,440 8,640 14,810 
			 Hounslow 3,725 3,375 8,720 15,825 
			 Islington 3,970 3,330 7,535 14,835 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,690 1,570 4,020 7,285 
			 Kingston upon Thames 2,180 1,060 3,730 6,970 
			 Lambeth 5,225 4,170 14,270 23,665 
			 Lewisham 5,440 4,175 12,975 22,590 
			 Merton 2,750 1,795 5,820 10,365 
			 Newham 4,900 4,530 12,200 21,630 
			 Redbridge 3,945 3,260 10,350 17,555 
			 Richmond upon Thames 2,415 1,130 3,615 7,160 
			 Southwark 4,905 2,725 11,940 19,570 
			 Sutton 3,060 1,485 5,565 10,110 
		
	
	
		
			 Tower Hamlets 5,005 3,810 12,170 20,985 
			 Waltham Forest 4,210 3,825 11,595 19,625 
			 Wandsworth 4,035 2,495 9,340 15,870 
			 Westminster 2,625 2,260 6,085 10,970 
			 United Kingdom 1,367,815 662,400 1,737,235 3,767,450 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 5  : Destination of off-flows from jobseeker’s allowance for each London borough and the UK from   January 2010   to December 20  10 
			  Into paid employment  (1) Other specified reasons Not known  (2) Total 
			 Barking and Dagenham 4,260 2,780 7,645 14,685 
			 Barnet 5,750 3,365 9,300 18,415 
			 Bexley 4,960 2,085 5,550 12,595 
			 Brent 6,305 3,580 13,290 23,175 
			 Bromley 5,585 2,640 7,150 15,375 
			 Camden 4,235 2,965 7,160 14,360 
			 City of London 70 50 90 205 
			 Croydon 7,965 4,450 12,935 25,350 
			 Ealing 6,680 5,120 11,450 23,255 
			 Enfield 6,210 4,385 11,430 22,025 
			 Greenwich 5,855 3,675 9,460 18,990 
			 Hackney 6,450 4,395 11,815 22,660 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,630 2,280 6,450 12,360 
			 Haringey 6,155 3,625 11,550 21,335 
			 Harrow 3,485 2,410 6,760 12,655 
			 Havering 5,115 2,380 6,715 14,215 
			 Hillingdon 5,060 3,015 9,040 17,115 
			 Hounslow 4,345 3,480 9,880 17,700 
			 Islington 5,595 3,615 7,665 16,875 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,110 1,530 3,965 7,605 
			 Kingston upon Thames 2,615 1,100 3,465 7,180 
			 Lambeth 7,250 4,145 14,275 25,670 
			 Lewisham 6,635 4,530 12,510 23,670 
			 Merton 3,475 2,065 5,360 10,905 
			 Newham 6,305 4,485 12,865 23,660 
			 Redbridge 4,690 3,130 9,880 17,695 
			 Richmond upon Thames 2,535 1,150 3,315 7,000 
			 Southwark 5,820 3,490 12,150 21,460 
			 Sutton 3,565. 1,530 4,925 10,020 
			 Tower Hamlets 6,625 3,740 11,600 21,960 
			 Waltham Forest 5,340 3,710 11,205 20,255 
			 Wandsworth 5,065 2,450 8,720 16,240 
			 Westminster 3,440 2,605 5,990 12,035 
			 United Kingdom 1,538,330 686,925 1,715,415 3,940,670 
			 (1) Either found work or increased work to 16+ hours/week. (2) Includes ceased claiming and failed to sign. Note: Data are rounded to the nearest five.

Poverty: Children

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish his Department's assessment of the effect on child poverty of his proposal to reduce the additional financial support within child tax credits and income support for families with disabled children in receipt of low and medium rate care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and/or mobility component of DLA.

Maria Miller: Under universal credit the cash additions for families with disabled children and the cash additions for adults will be aligned, with the higher rate over £52 a year more than the current rate. The Government will also extend eligibility for the higher rate to children who are severely visually impaired (currently only entitled to the disabled child element). Eligibility for the disabled child additions will, as now, be linked to the rate of disability living allowance they receive. The impact on child poverty of this approach will be included in the next version of the Welfare Reform Bill's impact assessment which we expect to publish before the Lords Committee stage.

Social Security Benefits

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in benefits to people domiciled outside the UK in each of the last three years.

Chris Grayling: The information is in the table. Data for 2010-11 are not yet available.
	
		
			 Overseas benefit expenditure, 2007-08 to 2009-10 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Overseas expenditure  (£ million) 2,451.4 2,634.9 2,849.4 
			 Total DWP benefit expenditure (£ million) 125,457.8 134,906.6 147,069.4 
			 Overseas proportion (percentage) 2.0 2.0 1.9 
			 Notes: 1. Benefits included: Attendance Allowance Bereavement benefits Carers Allowance Disability Living Allowance Employment and Support Allowance Incapacity Benefit Income Support Jobseeker's Allowance Pension Credit Severe Disablement Allowance State Pension Winter Fuel Payments 2. Around 97% of overseas expenditure is on state pension. 3. Benefit expenditure data, including overseas figures, may be found here: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure Source: DWP statistical and accounting data.

Social Security Benefits: Autism

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider the merits of allowing people with an autism spectrum disorder to appoint an independent advocate to help them during the benefits assessment process.

Chris Grayling: We recognise that attending any medical assessment can be a stressful experience, and these will not be carried out if there is enough existing evidence on the customer’s current condition to decide entitlement to the particular benefit in question. The healthcare professionals who carry out the examinations are trained in assessing vulnerable customers, and when people are asked to come for an assessment they are positively encouraged to bring someone with them, this may be an advocate.
	Additionally, there are already provisions in place for individuals who have more severe conditions and are unable to act on their own behalf. In these circumstances an advocate may be appointed to act on the individual's behalf and take responsibility for all matters relating to their welfare benefits.

Social Security Benefits: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much benefit was paid to claimants in Airdrie and Shotts constituency in 2010-11; and what estimate has been made of the level of payments in 2011-12.

Chris Grayling: Benefit expenditure by parliamentary constituency is not available for all benefits, and outturn benefit expenditure for 2010-11 is not yet available. Expenditure in Airdrie and Shotts constituency in 2009-10 on the benefits listed was £196.3 million.
	Benefits included:
	Attendance Allowance
	Bereavement benefits
	Carers Allowance
	Disability Living Allowance
	Employment and Support Allowance
	Incapacity Benefit
	Income Support
	Jobseeker’s Allowance
	Pension Credit
	Severe Disablement Allowance
	State Pension
	Winter Fuel Payments
	These benefits accounted for 80.1 % of DWP benefit expenditure in 2009-10.
	Note:
	Benefit expenditure tables, including constituency-level tables, are published at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure
	Source:
	DWP statistical and accounting data, and DWP benefit expenditure forecasts, Budget 2011.

State Retirement Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many of those estimated to face a delay in reaching state pension age of exactly two years as a result of the proposed new timetable for accelerating state pension age live in (a) Yorkshire and the Humber, (b) the North East, (c) the North West, (d) the East Midlands, (e) the West Midlands, (f) London, (g) the South East, (h) the South West and (i) the East of England;
	(2)  how many of those estimated to face a delay in reaching state pension age of exactly two years as a result of the proposed new timetable for accelerating state pension age live in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland.

Steve Webb: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 31 January 2011, Official Report, column 591W.

State Retirement Pensions

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's consultation document, A state pension for the 21st century, what steps he is taking to ensure compliance with age discrimination legislation of the proposals contained in that consultation to increase the basic state pension from a certain date for new pensioners.

Steve Webb: The Government are currently consulting on two high level options for state pension reform and are mindful of the need to take account of wider legal obligations, including on age discrimination, as part of ongoing policy development.
	It should be noted that both options for reform set out in the Government's consultation paper are designed to be cost neutral, and would therefore not involve additional expenditure on state pensions for new pensioners compared with if the current system were continued.
	If, following consultation, the proposals are taken further, the Government will produce a White Paper and impact assessment which will consider issues such as age discrimination as a matter of course.

State Retirement Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who will experience a delay in their state pension age of more than a year as a result of the proposed timetable for accelerating the state pension age live in (a) each region, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.

Steve Webb: The Department's estimates, made on the basis of the mid-2009 office for National Statistics population estimates, of the approximate number of women whose state pension age will increase by more than a year are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Thousands 
			 East Midlands 38 
			 East of England 49 
			 London 52 
			 North East 23 
			 North West 58 
			 South East 71 
			 South West 47 
			 West Midlands 45 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 43 
			 Scotland 46 
			 Wales 27 
			 Northern Ireland 14

Work Capability Assessment

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the budget allocated for the implementation of the revised work capability assessment (WCA) includes the cost of implementing any recommendations arising from Professor Harrington’s independent review of WCA.

Chris Grayling: No, the implementation of the recommendations contained within Professor Harrington’s independent review will be funded from alternative departmental sources.